China says it is 'safeguarding order' around Taiwan-controlled South China Sea atoll

BEIJING — China's government said on Wednesday that its coast guard was "safeguarding order" around a tiny and strategically located Taiwan-controlled atoll at the top end of the South China Sea where Taipei fears Beijing is trying to enforce jurisdiction. China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, said last week that Taiwan must "bear the consequences" of its coast guard using a water cannon against a Chinese fishing boat near the Pratas Islands. Taiwan has reported two incidents since Sunday of Chinese coast guard vessels approaching the Pratas, accusing Beijing of provocative behaviour. Speaking at a regular news briefing, a spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office said Beijing has "indisputable sovereignty" over the South China Sea islands, including the Pratas and their adjacent waters. "Mainland coast guard vessels conducting law enforcement patrols in the relevant waters are fulfilling their duties in accordance with the law, safeguarding normal navigation and operational order," spokesperson Zhang Han told reporters. The Chinese ships are "effe