Obama says change in U.S. policy towards Taiwan would have consequences with China

U.S. President Barack Obama talks about cyber hacking during the U.S. presidential election as he holds his final news conference of the year at the White House in Washington, U.S., December 16, 2016. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Friday it was fine for President-elect Donald Trump to review Washington's "one-China" policy towards Taiwan, but he cautioned that a shift could lead to significant consequences in the U.S. relationship with Beijing.

"For China, the issue of Taiwan is as important as anything on their docket," Obama told a news conference. "The idea of one China is at the heart of their conception as a nation and so if you are going to upend this understanding, you have to have thought through what ... the consequences are."