China has played a major role in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, said a recent CNN report.

As the virus swept through country after country, China took action and donated thousands of masks, testing kits as well as dozens of ventilators to regional countries, the report said.

Governments on the receiving end have been grateful to China. Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard wrote a thanks message on Twitter and Argentine President Alberto Fernandez expressed his gratitude to China in a letter, according to the report.

Beijing had also agreed to offer a loan to LAC countries to help them secure a COVID-19 vaccine developed by China, said the report.

Since 2014, favorable opinions of China have risen by 7 percentage points on average in Argentina, Mexico and Brazil, according to the Pew Research Center, the report said.