Milley defends calls to Chinese as effort to avoid conflict

WASHINGTON (AP) — The apical U.S. subject serviceman is defending his telephone calls to his Chinese counterpart during the last months of Donald Trump's presidency arsenic an effort to debar misunderstandings and conflict.

Gen. Mark Milley, president of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, offered his mentation Wednesday successful a written statement.

"His calls with the Chinese and others successful October and January were successful keeping with these duties and responsibilities conveying reassurance successful bid to support strategical stability," Milley’s spokesman, Col. Dave Butler, said successful a statement. "All calls from the Chairman to his counterparts, including those reported, are staffed, coordinated, and communicated with the Department of Defense and the interagency.

The Milley telephone calls were described successful excerpts from the forthcoming publication "Peril" by Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa.

The publication says Milley told Gen. Li Zuocheng of the People's Liberation Army that helium would pass his counterpart successful the lawsuit of a U.S. attack.

According to the Associated Press, immoderate successful Congress person asked President Joe Biden to occurrence him for overstepping, but erstwhile asked by a newsman whether oregon not Milley did the close thing, Biden responded that has "great assurance successful Gen. Milley."