Milley defends calls to Chinese general reported in Woodward book – live

Gen Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has defended phone calls in which, according to a new book by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa of the Washington Post, he reassured his Chinese counterpart that the US would make it through the transition from Donald Trump to Joe Biden without launching an attack on Beijing.

As reported by Woodward and Costa, Milley made “a pair of secret phone calls” to Gen Li Zuocheng.

One call reportedly took place on 30 October 2020 – four days before the election. The other took place on 8 January, two days after Trump supporters attacked Congress, seeking to overturn that defeat.

In the first call, prompted also by tensions in the South China Sea and over the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, Milley reportedly told Li: “I want to assure you that the American government is stable and everything is going to be OK. We are not going to attack or conduct any kinetic operations against you.”

Milley also reportedly told the Chinese general he would warn him if an attack was launched.

In the second call, after the Capitol riot, Milley told Li: “We are 100% steady. Everything’s fine. But democracy can be sloppy sometimes.”

On a military flight today, Milley told reporters: “These are routine calls in order to discuss issues of the day, to reassure both allies and adversaries in this case, in order to ensure strategic stability.

“And these are perfectly within the duties and responsibilities of the chairman.”

Trump and his supporters have lashed out over the reported calls, accusing the general of treasonous behaviour. Biden has said Milley retains his “great confidence” as the most senior US general.

On his flight, to Athens on Nato business, Milley told reporters he would be glad to testify about the calls, as he is due to do in the Senate on 28 September.

I will go into any level of detail Congress wants to go into,” he said.

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