PLA Maintains Near-Baseline 2 Sorties on May 4 — Northern + SW ADIZ Entry; Naval Count Rises to 8 PLAN Vessels + 3 Official Ships; 10 Days to Trump-Xi Beijing Summit

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense reported 2 PLA aircraft sorties and 8 PLAN vessels plus 3 official ships operating around Taiwan as of 06:00 local time on May 4, 2026 — near-baseline air activity following the record 29-sortie surge of May 2 and the 1-sortie minimum of May 3. Both sorties entered Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone, with one aircraft crossing into the northern ADIZ and one entering the southwestern ADIZ — a split two-sector geometry matching prior low-sortie days. The 8 PLAN vessels plus 3 official ships represent the highest naval count since the April 27 peak of 9 PLAN vessels (immediately following the 28-sortie April 26 spike), suggesting PLA is maintaining and slightly increasing maritime presence even as air activity returns to minimal levels. With 10 days remaining before the Trump-Xi Beijing summit (May 14-15, 2026), May 4's near-baseline air activity is consistent with PLA's post-spike cooling pattern: 29 sorties (May 2, new non-exercise record) → 1 sortie (May 3) → 2 sorties (May 4). However, the rising naval count to 8 PLAN vessels signals that PLA is sustaining significant maritime pressure even during air sortie lulls. Taiwan deployed combat air patrols, naval ships, and coastal missile systems in response to the May 4 PLA activity. The cumulative April-May sortie count and PLA's oscillating escalation pattern indicate the pre-summit pressure campaign remains active, with the next potential air surge cycle anticipated as the summit date approaches.