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New book reveals top US officer called China to allay Trump war fears
In a pair of calls during the final months of the Trump administration, Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, assured his Chinese counterpart, Gen. Li Zuocheng of the People's Liberation Army, that the United States would not attack, The Washington Post reported Tuesday, citing the book authored by Woodward and Robert Costa.
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This combination of file photos created Sept. 4, 2018 show Associate Editor of the Washington Post Bob Woodward (left) speaking at the Newseum during an event marking the 40th anniversary of Watergate at the Newseum in Washington, DC June 13, 2012; and US President Donald Trump speaking during an event to announce a grant for drug-free communities support program, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on Aug. 29, 2018
(AFP/Mandel Ngan and Jim Watson)
T
he top US military officer secretly contacted his Chinese counterpart twice last year over concerns then President Donald Trump could spark a war with China, an upcoming book by prominent journalist Bob Woodward and a colleague reportedly reveals.
In a pair of calls during the final months of the Trump administration, Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, assured his Chinese counterpart, Gen. Li Zuocheng of the People's Liberation Army, that the United States would not attack, The Washington Post reported Tuesday, citing the book authored by Woodward and Robert Costa.
The revelations underscore the increasing concerns felt inside the US military toward Trump, who had displayed unpredictable and provocative rhetoric, ahead of and in the aftermath of the Nov. 3 presidential election.
The book titled "Peril," written by The Washington Post reporters, is scheduled to be released next week. The book is based on interviews with more than 200 people and conducted on the condition of anonymity, according to the newspaper.
Woodward, along with his former colleague Carl Bernstein, is best known for uncovering the Watergate scandal that played a major role in the resignation of US President Richard Nixon.
One of Milley's calls took place on Oct. 30, 2020, and the other on Jan. 8, 2021, two days after the deadly Capitol riot perpetrated by Trump supporters in a quest to overturn the outcome of the election, the book reportedly reveals.
The first call was prompted by Milley's review of intelligence suggesting the Chinese believed the United States was preparing to attack. The authors of the book said the belief was based on tensions over military exercises in the South China Sea, and deepened by Trump's belligerent rhetoric toward China.
