Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld on Saturday struck a conciliatory tone on China, saying he was encouraged that Beijing was on a path toward being more transparent in its military intentions. His remarks, at an annual gathering of Asian defense ministers here, were a significant departure from his strong rebuke of Chinese military spending at the same conference a year ago. He used the occasion then to warn that Beijing’s obfuscation of its strategic ambitions threatened regional stability. The change in tone comes amid renewed Bush administration efforts to win Chinese agreement on a diplomatic course that could lead to United Nations sanctions against Iran for its refusal to suspend its nuclear program. Full Story