(Photo : Photo by Rod Lamkey-Pool/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 29: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley testifies during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Ending the U.S. Military Mission in Afghanistan in the Rayburn House Office Building at the U.S. Capitol on September 29, 2021 in Washington, DC.
Former United States President Donald Trump suggested that the country's top general, Mark Milley, should be "tried for treason" after the military official allegedly acted behind the Republican businessman's back during his presidency to prevent war with China.
In a statement, the former U.S. president criticized the contents of the book titled "Peril" that Bob Woodward and Robert Costa wrote. Trump also called Milley "one of the dumber generals in the military."
Tried for Treason
Trump argued that he was not planning on going to war with China during his time as the United States president, arguing that if Milley did call Chinese officials, he should be tried for treason. The Republican businessman said the idea of going to war with the Asian nation never crossed his mind, saying the only place he was fighting and winning against China was on Trade.
In their book, Woodward and Costa wrote that the top U.S. general called two times and spoke with Chinese Gen. Li Zuocheng. One of the calls was made on Oct. 30, 2020 while the other was made on Jan. 8, 2021, shortly after the unprecedented Capitol Hill riot, Business Insider reported.
In September, Milley admitted to talking with his Chinese counterpart that he would warn the Chinese government if Trump gave any orders that suggested the U.S. was planning to attack China. Testifying on Capitol Hill, Milley assured Li that the United States was not going to attack the Asian country.
On Milley's October 2020 call with Li, the military general said that if the U.S. federal government did decide to attack China, he would warn them so that it was not a surprise. Milley's January 2021 call followed the Capitol Hill riot and resulted in United States President Joe Biden expressing his confidence in the military general.
Controversy With Taiwan
The Democrat said that the top U.S. military general was regularly communicating with Chiefs of Defense personnel worldwide, including from China and Russia. "His calls with the Chinese and others in October and January were in keeping with these duties and responsibilities conveying reassurance in order to maintain strategic stability. All calls from the Chairman to his counterparts, including those reported, are staffed, coordinated, and communicated with the Department of Defense and the interagency," said Milley's office, the New York Post reported.
The situation comes as tensions between the United States and China continue to worsen over the controversy with Taiwan's sovereignty. Recently, China is believed to have distributed massive investments to the People's Liberation Army (PLA) that suggests Beijing could be preparing for a possible war with the United States over the international issue.
The United States might need to quickly build up its forces deployed in the Pacific, strengthen military alliances in the region and expedite deliveries of military equipment to Taiwan. The island nation is a crucial political ally of the United States, and its growing democracy gives it one of the freest societies worldwide. Additionally, Taiwan is the center for advanced semiconductor production, The Hill reported.
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