Tsai Ing-wen Photo: AFP

Taiwan's regional leader Tsai Ing-wen faced a backlash again on Sunday for expressing her condolences to US President Joe Biden's loss of his beloved dog Champ, as the mourning, coming amid the increasing number of deaths due to the ravaging COVID-19 wave, angered some netizens who mocked and criticized Tsai for being Biden's "bootlicker" while turning a blind eye to people's lives and health. 

"From one animal lover to another, I am so sorry for your loss," Tsai tweeted after Biden announced the death of his "beloved" 13-year-old German Shepherd on Saturday.

Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

Tsai's comment was harshly slashed by some netizens, who blamed Tsai of showing no regrets for her ignorance of the deaths of Taiwan residents from the epidemic and those who died suddenly after vaccination.

Since the island of Taiwan began to vaccinate local residents with the AstraZeneca vaccines from Tuesday, 67 people died after receiving the inoculation so far. On Sunday alone, the island reported 18 more deaths, according to local media, citing an official from the epidemic control center. 

The official said all 18 people died within four days after being vaccinated. 

Besides, Taiwan reported 127 new local cases on Saturday, the 36th consecutive day that the island has record more than 100 new cases. Twenty deaths were reported on Saturday, bringing the total number to 538.

"Will you feel sorry for the people in Taiwan who died because of your dereliction of duty? Have you seen the sudden deaths after vaccination in Taiwan? Were those people inferior to a dog?" some netizens asked. 

"The deaths of over 500 people were nothing compared with a dog, which you did not even know at all," said another netizen. 

Some netizens from the mainland also mocked the secessionists in Taiwan, saying that "it is a pity for you guys to see a leader chosen by yourself to rival for favor with a dog." Tsai and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) have been mocked by mainland netizens for treating the US president as their "American father."

The comments toward Tsai mirrored recent outrage from the island on the pro-secessionists DPP's political manipulation, which has caused high COVID-19 death rates and vaccine shortages.

Barbie Hsu, a Taiwan actress, posted an Instagram story recently, saying that "We are being massacred. Tsai is killing us!"

Following Hsu, Pace Wu, a well-known Taiwan entertainer, also posted on Instagram, "I hope my elderly parents can get an internationally recognized vaccine soon! I hope everyone can have the freedom to get the vaccine if they want to! May the safety of all lives be guaranteed! "

Apart from celebrities from the entertainment industry, a group of Taiwan scholars, politicians, including Chang Ya-chung, a Taipei-based political scientist and member of the Kuomintang (KMT), and Chung Chin, former director-general of Taiwan's information office, sued Tsai and others in her DPP for politicizing the pandemic to benefit themselves.