Milley: Calls to China were ‘perfectly’ within scope of job

By LOLITA C. BALDOR
Associated Press

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The top U.S. military officer says calls he made to his Chinese counterpart in the final stormy months of Donald Trump’s presidency were “perfectly within the duties and responsibilities” of his job. In his first public comments on those conversations, Gen. Mark Milley said such calls are “routine” and were done “to reassure both allies and adversaries in this case in order to ensure strategic stability.” The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff spoke on Friday to The Associated Press and another reporter traveling with him to Europe. A new book says Milley made two calls to a Chinese general to assure him the United States wasn’t going to suddenly go to war with or attack China.