News Analysis They cut through the water like giant steel sharks, cold ocean spray misting off their gray hulls. Four Chinese warships, bristling with missiles, tear their path through the frigid waters of the Bering Strait, less than 50 miles from American shores. Their intentions are unknown. For many Americans, this scenario is an unsettling prospect. It is, however, a reality, and may soon become the norm in Sino-American relations. The United States Coast Guard discovered as much when they unexpectedly bumped into a Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) flotilla, a mere 46 miles from U.S. territory on Aug. 31 of this year. It was the closest that the PLAN had come to American soil since 2015, when it first ventured into the Arctic. On that occasion, the ships ultimately traveled just 12 miles from American soil. These incidents, as alarming as they may seem, are wholly legal. The United …