RealClearDefense has a post that offers some suggestions as to how the Coast Guard might contribute to a more positive relationship with China.

To be clear, such a partnership is not a naïve panacea; it must be implemented within a whole-of -government framework, including more forceful military approaches to withstand the “window of vulnerability.” A viable path forward sees the U.S. Coast Guard being used to forge partnerships in the maritime domain, as a powerful element of a more holistic solution. By partnering with the Chinese naval apparatus in new and unfamiliar missions, the Coast Guard can be used as an effective agent of change and diplomacy to help stabilize an intractable geopolitical problem.

One of the principles I have come to believe in strongly, is that even in conflict we should never stop talking. The other side of that is, that when you are engaged in conflict, a ceasefire as a precondition for discussion is not only unnecessary, it is frequently counter productive.