Book claims US military chief feared Trump could order China strike

Former President Donald Trump at a boxing promotion in Florida on Saturday. A new book says the United States’ top military officer twice called his Chinese counterpart to assure him the two nations would not suddenly go to war during the final weeks of Mr Trump’s presidency (Rebecca Blackwell/AP)

The United States’ top military officer twice called his Chinese counterpart to assure him the two nations would not suddenly go to war in the last weeks of Donald Trump’s presidency, a senior defence official has said after the conversations were described in excerpts from a forthcoming book.

Fearful of Mr Trump’s actions in the final stages of his administration, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, General Mark Milley, told China’s General Li Zuocheng the US would not strike.