Deb Fischer: “50 years ago this coming February, President Nixon made history as the first American President to visit the People's…”

“50 years ago this coming February, President Nixon made history as the first American President to visit the People's Republic of China. He thought that by inviting China to join what he called ``the family of nations,'' he could incentivize the Chinese Communist Party to liberalize at home and refrain from exporting its brand of communism abroad. That may sound naive because, as we look back on those 50 years, the changes President Nixon hoped for never came. But he held out hope for change because he had faith in the Chinese people. He was an incredible admirer of their culture and their remarkable history. And even though these past few decades have proven Nixon wrong about the CCP, he was right to have faith in the people of China. That is why we have to be specific when we talk about what the future holds for our two countries. The Chinese people and the Chinese Communist Party are not the same thing. In fact, the opposite is true. We have seen countless examples of the Chinese people's bravery, from pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong to 1989's protests in Tiananmen Square. They were born deserving the same universal rights that we enjoy in the United States: freedom of speech, assembly, religion, and so many more. They deserve to live in a country that recognizes those rights and understands that true power comes from the consent of the governed, not from the iron fist of the party oligarchy.…”