US President Donald Trump says he’s seen evidence the Wuhan Institute of Virology is the origin of COVID-19, not a wet market in the Chinese city, and the World Health Organisation should be “ashamed” for being a “public relations agency for China”.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has supported Prime Minister Scott Morrison's calls for an international inquiry into the origins of the pandemic, with the Coalition refusing to back down regardless of economic backlash from China.

“It started in China, and that is not a statement of accusation or criticism, it’s just a statement of fact,” Mr Morrison said.

Mr Morrison’s stance was supported by his predecessor, Malcolm Turnbull, who condemned the business sector for “taking China’s side” publicly in the diplomatic feud between Australia and China.

“All it does is encourage China to say yeah, we just stand up there and we threaten trade consequences,” Mr Turnbull said.

Image: AP

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