“We appreciate that the Obama administration had recognized and supported our efforts to maintain the status quo (of the Taiwan Strait),” Taiwan presidential spokesman Alex Huang said in a statement. “As for the words about US foreign policy, we have no comment.”

Obama said at his year-end news conference Friday the Taiwan issue was of utmost importance to the Chinese, and how they react to any potential change could be very significant.

“That status quo, although not completely satisfactory to all the parties involved, has kept the peace and allowed the Taiwanese to be a pretty successful economy and a people who have a high degree of self-determination,” Obama said.

“It does mean that you’ve got to think it through and have planned for potential reactions that they may engage in,” he added.

The “one-China” policy became an issue after Trump talked to President Tsai over the phone earlier this month, despite the fact that the governments terminated diplomatic relations in 1979.

The call risked souring US relations with China, which considers Taiwan a breakaway province. Beijing vigorously opposes any official contacts with the Taipei-based government.

Trump later said he would not feel bound by the decades-old policy.

According to the “one-China” policy, China’s ruling Communist Party requires other nations to avoid formal diplomatic recognition of Taiwan, although the US maintain many informal channels.