PLA Surges Back to 22 Sorties on May 7 — 18 Cross Median Line Into N/C/SW/E ADIZ; 6 PLAN Vessels; Sharp Re-Escalation From Zero-Sortie Day; 7 Days to Trump-Xi Summit

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense reported 22 PLA aircraft sorties in its daily 06:00 local time snapshot on May 7, 2026, with 18 of 22 sorties crossing the Taiwan Strait median line and entering Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone in the northern, central, southwestern, and eastern sectors simultaneously. 6 PLAN vessels and 1 official ship continued operating around Taiwan. This marks a dramatic re-escalation from the first zero-sortie day recorded on May 6, reversing the post-record cooling entirely: 29 sorties (May 2 record) → 1 (May 3) → 2 (May 4) → 1 (May 5) → 0 (May 6) → 22 (May 7). At 22 sorties, this is the second-highest single-day non-exercise count on record behind only the May 2 peak of 29 sorties, and surpasses all previous non-exercise days except May 2 and April 26 (28 sorties). The multi-sector geometry — northern, central, southwestern, and eastern ADIZ simultaneously — mirrors the mass-crossing patterns of May 2 (29 sorties), April 26 (28 sorties), and April 21 (24 sorties). ROC Armed Forces monitored the situation and responded by dispatching combat air patrol aircraft, naval vessels, and coastal missile systems. The resurgence arrives 7 days before the Trump-Xi Beijing summit (May 14-15), as Xi Jinping is expected to press Trump on limiting US arms sales to Taiwan and opposing Taiwan independence — Taiwan being confirmed as the top agenda item for the summit. Analysts assess the spike is consistent with PLA's established pre-summit escalatory signaling: delivering a high-visibility demonstration of military capability to shape diplomatic expectations while not breaking into formal exercise territory.