WASHINGTON -- Fearful of Donald Trump's actions in his final weeks as president, the United States' top military officer twice called his Chinese counterpart to assure him that the two nations would not suddenly go to war, a senior defence official said Tuesday after the conversations were described in excerpts from a forthcoming book.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley told Gen. Li Zuocheng of the People's Liberation Army that the United States would not strike. One call took place on Oct. 30, 2020, four days before the election that defeated Trump. The second call was on Jan. 8, 2021, just two days after the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol by supporters of the outgoing chief executive.


Milley went so far as to promise Li that he would warn his counterpart in the event of a U.S. attack, according to the book "Peril," written by Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the book. Details from the book, which is set to be released next week, were first reported by The Washington Post on Tuesday.

"General Li, I want to assure you that the American government is stable and everything is going to be okay," Milley told him in the first call, according to the book. "We are not going to attack or conduct any kinetic operations against you."


According to the defence official, Milley's message to Li on both occasions was one of reassurance. The official questioned suggestions that Milley told Li he would call him first, and instead said the chairman made the point that the United States was not going to suddenly attack China without any warning -- whether it be through diplomatic, administrative or military channels.

Milley also spoke with a number of other chiefs of defence around the world in the days after the Jan. 6 riot, including military leaders from the United Kingdom, Russia and Pakistan. A readout of those calls in January referred to "several" other counterparts that he spoke to with similar messages of reassurance that the U.S. government was strong and in control.


Trump responded Tuesday with a sharply worded statement dismissing Milley as a "Dumbass," and insisting he never considered attacking China.

Still, he said that if the report was true, "I assume he would be tried for TREASON in that he would have been dealing with his Chinese counterpart behind the President's back and telling China that he would be giving them notification `of an attack.' Can't do that!"

"Actions should be taken immediately against Milley," Trump said.


Pelosi had previously said she spoke to Milley that day about "available precautions" to prevent Trump from initiating military action or ordering a nuclear launch, and she told colleagues she was given unspecified assurances that there were longstanding safeguards in place.

Milley, according to the book, called the admiral overseeing the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, the military unit responsible for Asia and the Pacific region, and recommended postponing upcoming military exercises. He also asked senior officers to swear an "oath" that Milley had to be involved if Trump gave an order to launch nuclear weapons, according to the book.


It's not clear what, if any, military exercises were actually postponed. But defence officials said it is more likely that the military postponed a planned operation, such as a freedom of navigation transit by a U.S. Navy ship in the Pacific region. The defence officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.


In response to the book, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., sent U.S. President Joe Biden a letter Tuesday urging him to fire Milley, saying the general worked to "actively undermine the sitting Commander in Chief."

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, called the report "deeply concerning," telling reporters at the Capitol, "I think the first step is for General Milley to answer the question as to what exactly he said."

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said he had no concerns that Milley might have exceeded his authority, telling reporters that Democratic lawmakers "were circumspect in our language but many of us made it clear that we were counting on him to avoid the disaster which we knew could happen at any moment."

A spokesperson for the Joint Staff declined to comment.





"Mike, you have no flexibility on this. None. Zero. Forget it. Put it away," Quayle said, according to the book.


Trump was not pleased.

"I don't want to be your friend anymore if you don't do this," Trump replied, according to the book, later telling his vice president: "You've betrayed us. I made you. You were nothing."

"Peril" describes Trump's relentless efforts to convince Attorney General William Barr that the election had been stolen. Barr is quoted as telling Trump, "The Justice Department can't take sides, as you know, between you and the other candidate." According to the book, Barr had determined that allegations about rigged voting machines "were not panning out." Barr also expressed disgust with Rudolph Giuliani and others insisting Trump had won, calling them a "clown car."