PLA Posts 15 Aircraft on May 15 (Summit Conclusion Day) — 2 Enter SW ADIZ; 4 PLAN Vessels; Post-Summit Re-Escalation in Total Aerial Presence Begins

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense detected 15 PLA aircraft and 4 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan as of 06:00 local time on May 15, 2026 — the final day of the Trump-Xi Beijing summit. 2 of 15 aircraft entered Taiwan's southwestern ADIZ, while the remaining aircraft operated in the broader Taiwan Strait area without crossing the median line. The May 15 total aircraft count of 15 represents a notable post-summit re-escalation in total aerial presence from May 14's 3 sorties and May 13's 2 sorties, consistent with PLA's established pattern of resuming pressure following diplomatic engagements. Naval presence decreased slightly from 6 PLAN vessels (May 14) to 4, suggesting the naval component is being pulled back while air component surges. The full May sortie sequence now reads: 4 (May 1) → 29 record (May 2) → 1 (May 3) → 2 (May 4) → 1 (May 5) → 0 (May 6) → 22 (May 7) → 12 (May 8) → 8 (May 9) → 12 (May 10) → 7 (May 11) → 9 (May 12) → 2 (May 13) → 3 (May 14) → 15 (May 15). Bloomberg's post-summit assessment noted that Taiwan's security will be the first major test of the post-summit US-China relationship. ROC Armed Forces monitored and deployed CAP aircraft, naval vessels, and coastal missile systems in response.