Milley defends calls to China
It was part of his job to promise to warn Beijing of any U.S. attack, Milley says.
Joint Chiefs chairman says contacts during Trump’s last days were “perfectly” in line with his job.
ATHENS — Gen. Mark A. Milley, the U.S.’ top military officer, said Friday that calls he made to his Chinese counterpart in the final months of the Trump presidency were “perfectly within the duties and responsibilities” of his job.
In his first comments to the media on the conversations, Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said such calls were “routine” and were intended “to reassure both allies and adversaries in this case in order to ensure strategic stability.” Milley spoke to the Associated Press and another reporter traveling with him to Europe.
Milley has been the focus of controversy amid reports that he made two calls to Gen. Li Zuocheng of China’s People’s Liberation Army to assure him that the U.S. was not going to suddenly go to war with or attack China.
Descriptions of the calls, made in October and January, were first aired in excerpts from the forthcoming book “Peril” by Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa. The book says Milley told Li that he would warn him in the event of an attack.
Milley offered only a brief defense on Friday, saying he planned a deeper discussion on the calls when he testifies before Congress later this month.
“I think it’s best that I reserve my comments on the record until I do that in front of the lawmakers who have the lawful responsibility to oversee the U.S. military,” Milley said. “I’ll go into any level of detail Congress wants to go into.”
Milley and Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III are scheduled to testify Sept. 28 before the Senate Armed Services Committee, in what initially was going to be a hearing on the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan and the chaotic evacuation of Americans, Afghans and others.
Now, however, Milley is expected to face tough questioning on the phone calls, which came during Trump’s last months in office as he challenged the results of the 2020 election. The second call, on Jan. 8, came two days after a violent mob attacked the U.S. Capitol in an effort to prevent Congress from certifying President Biden’s election victory.
A special House committee investigating the Capitol riot has asked for details about Milley’s calls. Panel leaders Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) have also sought records related to the November election, the transfer of power from Trump to Biden, and the riot.
Milley was appointed Joint Chiefs chairman by Trump in 2019 and has remained in that post in the Biden administration. As chairman, he is the top military advisor to the president and the Defense secretary. The White House and the Pentagon chief have said they have full trust and confidence in Milley.
The new book says Milley, fearful of Trump’s actions late in his term, twice called his Chinese counterpart to assure him that the U.S. was not going to attack China. The first call was on Oct. 30, four days before the presidential election.
Some U.S. lawmakers say Milley overstepped his authority, and have called for Biden to fire him.
Trump blasted Milley as treasonous and “a complete nutjob,” and said Milley didn’t tell him about the calls.
Milley’s office, in a statement this week, said the calls were intended to convey “reassurance” to the Chinese military and were in line with his responsibilities as Joint Chiefs chairman.
The statement from Milley spokesman Col. Dave Butler said the calls were “staffed, coordinated and communicated” with the Pentagon and other federal agencies.
According to the Woodward and Costa book, which the AP has obtained, Milley assured his Chinese counterpart in the first call that “the American government is stable and everything is going to be okay.” It said he told Li, “We are not going to attack or conduct any kinetic operations against you.
“If we’re going to attack, I’m going to call you ahead of time. It’s not going to be a surprise,” Milley said, according to the book.
Milley spoke with a number of other military leaders around the world after the Jan. 6 riot; they included leaders in Britain, Russia and Pakistan. A description of those January calls referred to “several” other counterparts whom Milley gave similar messages of reassurance that the U.S. government was strong and in control despite the riot.
The second call was meant to placate Chinese fears about the events of Jan. 6. But the book says Li wasn’t easily assuaged, even after Milley promised him: “We are 100% steady. Everything’s fine. But democracy can be sloppy sometimes.”
Sen. Marco Rubio (RFla.) has urged Biden to fire Milley, saying the general worked to “actively undermine” Trump as U.S. commander in chief.