PLA 1 Aircraft Sortie + 8 PLAN Vessels Around Taiwan April 7 — Continued Low-Key Presence on Day of KMT Chair Arrival

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense reported (as of 0600 local time April 7, 2026) detecting 1 PLA aircraft sortie entering Taiwan's southwestern ADIZ, alongside 8 PLAN vessels and 1 official ship operating around Taiwan in multiple vectors — with Chinese warships positioned off Taiwan's east coast and in northern, northwestern, and southwestern waters. ANI News reported that Taiwan deployed aircraft, naval ships, and coastal missile systems in response. The sustained multi-vessel, minimal-air posture on the day of KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun's arrival in Shanghai is consistent with PLA 'combined pressure-and-dialogue signaling': maintaining visible naval presence while keeping air activity at a non-provocative single-sortie level to avoid overshadowing the diplomatic channel represented by the KMT visit. Monthly running totals as of April 7: 205 PLA aircraft tracks and 294 ship tracks in April 2026. The 1-sortie figure compares with 3 on April 5, 2 on April 3, and the late-March spike peak of 19 (March 29). YTD 2026 sorties remain approximately 46.5% below the same 2025 period.