Brazil health regulator Anvisa on Wednesday allowed the resumption of late-stage Brazilian clinical trials for China's Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine, which had been suspended due to a study subject's death that was registered in Sao Paulo as a suicide.

Brazilian medical institute Butantan said in a statement it would restart trials later on Wednesday.

Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro reiterated on Wednesday evening that his government would purchase whatever vaccine is approved by Anvisa and the Health Ministry, which could ultimately include the Sinovac vaccine, if approved.

The decision to suspend the trial - one of Sinovac's three large late-stage studies - was criticized by the trial organizers, who said the move had taken them by surprise and that there had been no need to stop the study as the death had no relation to the vaccine.

"After evaluating the new data presented by the sponsor ... Anvisa understands that it has sufficient reasons to allow the resumption of vaccination," the agency said.

"It is important to clarify that a suspension does not necessarily mean that the product under investigation does not offer quality, safety or efficacy," Anvisa added.

Sinovac, in a statement, said: "We are confident in the safety of the vaccine, fully understand and appreciate Anvisa's strict supervision and timely resumption of the clinical studies."

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Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, said on Thursday China is pleased to see the resumption of the Chinese vaccine's clinical trials.

He told a press briefing that China has always highly prioritized the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. There are now four Chinese vaccines in Phase 3 trials that are being carried out across the world, and preliminary results have shown a good level of safety, he said.

Wang added that China believes the COVID-19 prevention cooperation between China and Brazil will have positive contributions towards the global fight against the pandemic. 

Brazil has one of the world's worst COVID-19 outbreaks, with over 5.7 million confirmed cases and 163,000 deaths related to the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. 

(With input from Reuters)