Reassuring verbal messages from high levels in the United States government regarding China are nice to hear but are little more than public relations. American credibility is so poor that few believe such statements are sincere. Actions speak louder than words, and they tell a different story.

Kurt Campbell, coordinator for the Indo-Pacific region on the U.S. National Security Council, added some clarity recently on United States policy regarding the island. The Biden administration’s policy review appears to be finished, and it’s starting to take action.

The island of Taiwan has been locked in one of China’s most famous conflicts for decades. Now, other nations are taking advantage of the stand-off to bolster their security concerns in regards to Chinese expansion.

The visit by military aircraft is subject to interpretation. But using this kind of theater to test China’s patience and undercut the dignity of the Chinese government will certainly lead the latter to adjust and change its policy toward the island.

The United States is edging ever closer to China’s red lines as it moves to enhance relations with the island. This has triggered policy discussions in the U.S. about whether to abandon strategic ambiguity and make it clear that the United States will take military action to defend Taiwan against Beijing.

The long-standing impasse between Taiwan and China has involved the U.S. since it’s beginnings after the second World War. Biden’s administration has started with strong affirmations of its commitment to Taiwan, but the tense situation may soon be measured in each player’s appetite for direct confrontation.

The rise in US-China frictions has led some Americans to call for an increase in US support for Taiwan—even a return of American military forces. However, basing US troops in Taiwan will unnecessarily complicate an already complex situation and undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Washington is sending an unsubtle message to Beijing that U.S. military support for Taiwan is no longer ambiguous or hesitant.

Will the United States fight for the island or forsake it? It’s a central question, as a series of statements by Washington hawks and moves in Congress edge toward confrontation. A protracted war is one possible outcome. Loss of U.S. credibility in the Asia-Pacific is another.

Among the mounting tensions in the US-China relationship, the Taiwan issue is the only issue that could turn the “war of words” into a true war.