Updated April 26, 2020 12:57:59

Photo: China has lashed Australia twice in the past week. (AAP: Lukas Coch)

China has criticised Australia's push for an independent international probe of the coronavirus pandemic, describing the move as "political manoeuvring".

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman has told reporters the idea would "disrupt international cooperation in fighting the pandemic" and goes against the world's shared aspirations.

He has urged Australia's Federal Government to put aside "ideological bias and political games", and to focus on the welfare of the Australian people and global public health security.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison last week spoke with the leaders of the United States, Germany and France, seeking to build an international coalition to give the World Health Organisation (WHO) — or another body — powers equivalent to those of a weapons inspector to avoid another catastrophic pandemic.

"Currently, with the pandemic still spreading across the world, the most pressing task is to put people's life and health first and work together to defeat the virus," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said.

"At such a critical juncture, it is highly irresponsible to resort to politically motivated suspicion and accusation.

"We advise the Australian side to put aside ideological bias and political games, focus on the welfare of the Australian people and global public health security, follow the international community's collective will for cooperation, and contribute to the global cooperation in fighting the virus, instead of doing things to the contrary."

Infographic: Growth in known cases in key countries, on a logarithmic scale

This chart uses a logarithmic scale to highlight coronavirus growth rates. Read our explainer to understand what that means — and what we can learn from countries that have slowed the spread.

Australia has been increasing the pressure on China for its handling of pandemic's outbreak.

The relationship with Australia's largest trading partner is becoming increasingly sensitive as senior government ministers speak out in favour of further research on the pandemic's origins.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne urged China to allow transparency in a study of the pandemic's spread, including China's handling of the outbreak.

China issued a rebuke of Australia last week, with the nation's embassy in Australia accusing Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton of being a mouthpiece for the United States.

The embassy described calls by Australian politicians for greater scrutiny of China's handling of the coronavirus crisis as "pitiful".

David Littleproud used a meeting with global agriculture ministers to push for a study into wildlife wet markets.

The Australian Government believes there is a "very real likelihood" that the coronavirus outbreak came from a wet market in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

Topics: government-and-politics, infectious-diseases-other, federal-government, health, respiratory-diseases, covid-19, community-and-society, australia

First posted April 26, 2020 10:14:54