Politico | Claims that top US general Mark Milley made ‘secret’ calls to Chinese leaders exaggerated, insiders say
- A defence official said the calls were not out of the ordinary, and the Joint Chiefs chairman was not frantically trying to reassure his counterpart
- A book by journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa says Milley was concerned about Trump’s instability and the possibility he might spark a war with China
This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Lara Seligman and Daniel Lippman on politico.com on September 15, 2021.
Claims in an upcoming book that a frantic Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley made secret calls to his Chinese counterpart are greatly exaggerated, according to two people familiar with the discussions.
A forthcoming book by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa claims that Milley grew concerned about then President Donald Trump’s instability and the possibility that he might spark a war with China, prompting him to arrange a pair of secret phone calls with General Li Zuocheng of the People’s Liberation Army. The first was on October 30, just four days before the presidential election, and the second on January 8, two days after a group of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol.
During the calls, Milley reassured Li that the United States would not strike, and pledged to give his counterpart a heads up if Trump ordered an attack, according to The Washington Post.
“General Li, you and I have known each other for now five years. If we’re going to attack, I’m going to call you ahead of time. It’s not going to be a surprise,” Milley is reported to have said.
