White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said President Joe Biden knows the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley well, and has confidence in his leadership and loyalty to the Constitution, explaining that reports of calls between Milley and his Chinese counterpart are unconfirmed and of limited content.
The Washington Post had revealed that General Mark Milley had taken secret measures and measures to avoid any military attack on China during the last days of the administration of former US President Donald Trump.
And it was stated in the book "Peril" - written by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa - that General Milley called his Chinese counterpart twice, and reassured him that the situation in Washington was stable, and that it would not deal a blow to China.
denial and denial
On the other hand, General Mark Milley's office said he had not made secret contacts with China to circumvent government civilian leaders.
Colonel Dave Butler, Milley's spokesman, said that "all of the chief's communications with his counterparts, including those mentioned, took place in the presence of staff and in coordination and communication with the Ministry of Defense and the participation of relevant agencies."
"General Milley continues to act and advise within his authority under the legal tradition of civilian control of the military and its constitutional oath," Butler added.
The book is due out next week, and the authors say they relied on interviews with 200 sources.
For his part, Trump - in a statement issued on Tuesday - questioned the entire story, describing it as "made-up", and said if the story was true, Milley should be prosecuted for treason.
"For history, I have never considered attacking China," Trump added.