The outbreak began in China’s Hubei province in late 2019, but the country has publicly reported only about 83,000 cases and 3,300 deaths. That compares to more than 190,000 cases and more than 4,000 deaths in the US, which has the largest publicly reported outbreak in the world.

Communications staff at the White House and Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

While China eventually imposed a strict lockdown beyond those of less autocratic nations, there has been considerable scepticism of China’s reported numbers, both outside and within the country.

Funeral parlour report fans fears over Wuhan coronavirus death toll

Stacks of thousands of urns outside funeral homes in Hubei province have driven public doubt in Beijing’s reporting.

China is not the only country with suspect public reporting. Western officials have pointed to Iran, Russia, Indonesia and especially North Korea, which has not reported a single case of the disease, as probable undercounts. Other nations including Saudi Arabia and Egypt may also be playing down their numbers.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has publicly urged China and other nations to be transparent about their outbreaks. He has repeatedly accused China of covering up the extent of the problem and being slow to share information, especially in the weeks after the virus first emerged, and blocking offers of help from American experts.

“This data set matters,” he said at a news conference in Washington on Tuesday.

The development of medical therapies and public-health measures to combat the virus “so that we can save lives depends on the ability to have confidence and information about what has actually transpired”, he said.

“I would urge every nation: do your best to collect the data. Do your best to share that information,” he said. “We’re doing that.”