筆者曾經問基辛格博士，毛澤東主席多次在書房裡接待他，有沒有看到馬克思主義的著作？他的回答是：“好像沒有啊，滿是線裝書，中國的古典。”

中國人不信神，共產黨人是無神論者，怎麼值得信任呢？於是美國人常常喜歡用獨裁、不透明、不自由、不信神、不民主、不人權、不穩定、不人道、不人性等等來形容“共產黨中國”。看來，理解中國共產黨是重建中美政治互信的關鍵。因為美國對中國的誤解、誤判，集中在如何認識中國共產黨。中國共產黨的領導被寫進中華人民共和國憲法，是中國特色社會主義制度最本質的特徵和最大制度優勢。美方只有理解、尊重這一點才不會在台灣問題、新疆問題、國有企業、勞工權益等問題上曲解中國。

這就要克服三個重要誤解。

第一個誤解是將中國視為可被演變的“異類”，要讓中國皈依成為西方的一員，正如成功將日本收編為西方國家，忽視了中國自古自成一體，五千年文明連續不斷，不可能完全變成西方模式。但是中國已經大量學習了西方文明，傳統中國發展為現代中國，並向“全球中國”邁進，正如“一帶一路”、人類命運共同體所顯示的。

第二個誤解是認為西方與中國最大的區別就是中國共產黨，忽視了中國共產黨的領導是同中國傳統文化的結合，是近代以來西方文明終於內化為五千年文明的結晶，正如歷史上佛教終於融入中土文化，成為佛學、禪宗一樣。

第三個誤解是認為中國革命撿了被西方所淘汰的異端學說——馬列主義。實際上馬列主義已經中國化，不是他們所想像的蘇聯模式，即落後的俄羅斯農奴制、斯拉夫文化與共產主義革命學說相混合的怪胎，而是與五千年輝煌的中華文明相結合。

消除這三個誤解，要從一百年、五百年、五千年三個維度認識中國共產黨“是誰、從哪裡來、到哪裡去”。

一百年：中國共產黨的關鍵詞從“共產黨/共產主義”轉變到“中國/社會主義”，社會主義從運動、制度轉變到文明，實現了中國化。令人憂慮的是，美國人越來越從意識形態和民族國家看中國，而非從歷史文化角度看中國。人們也沒有從學理上梳理清楚中國共產黨和中國的大一統、世俗文明有什麼內在關聯，它如何從原來的革命黨、執政黨轉型到治理黨？

五百年：工業革命以來，西方文明盛極一時，也造化了中國。共產黨領導的中國建成了世界上最大的工業體系，成為最大的工業製造國，現在還變成了最大的數字化國家。為什麼出現這樣一種轉型，中國共產黨有關和平崛起和偉大復興的基因是什麼？

五千年：中國共產黨契合了中國的世俗文化，適應並維護了大一統局面，它是中國五千年文明的土壤結出的果實。中學為體，西學為用，中國共產黨學習西方文明並結合中國的傳統文化，真正體現了人類文明東西互鑒，開創了人類新文明。中美戰略對話可圍繞國內治理與全球治理的核心價值觀開展，從氣候變化、公共衛生、數字化等新領域探討背後中國共產黨的治理邏輯，共同實現人類公平正義。

在慶祝中國共產黨誕辰一百年之際，美國人理解重塑共產黨觀，並籍此重塑中國觀是十分有必要的。其要旨是理解“中國、共產、黨”這三個關鍵詞。

共產黨已經中國化。中國化的意思就是將革命、建設與中國傳統文化結合，將傳統的“均貧富”、“天下大同”理想轉換為全面建成小康社會和實現全面現代化。中國共產黨強調以人民為中心的執政理念，可從《道德經》第四十九章找到文化基因：“聖人無常心，以百姓心為心。善者，吾善之；不善者，吾亦善之，德善。”這是中華民族偉大復興應有之義。中國傳統文化是和合文化，不是革命鬥爭文化。人類命運共同體就是中國共產黨與中國傳統文化結合的理念，不再強調無產階級推翻資產階級統治，而是認為資本主義與社會主義命運與共，同時與各種文化初心共鳴，比如西方基督教文化的“人人為我，我為人人”。中國共產黨的合法性不是美國人理解的選舉，而是歷史的選擇、現實的選擇和人民的選擇，也就是不斷被歷史檢驗。具體到官員任命是選舉加選拔，正如加拿大學者貝淡寧（Daniel Bell）《賢能政治》一書所揭示的。

什麼是中國？“中國是一個文明，假裝成為了民族國家”。中國傳統世俗文明最終實現中國共產黨中國化，世俗文明不是不信仰宗教，不是不信神，而是不信單一的神（儒道釋並存，是宗教還不如說是文化），尊重信神自由，也尊重不信神自由，所以才能做到實事求是，最大程度地開放包容，實現社會的公平正義。

什麼是共產？不是國民黨污衊的共產共妻，也不是美國人想像的國家資本主義。其實，中國的所有制早已不是計劃經濟時代那麼簡單。關於民營經濟有“56789”的說法，就是民營經濟貢獻了中國經濟50%以上的稅收、60%以上的GDP、70%以上的技術創新成果、80%以上的城鎮勞動就業，還有90%以上的企業數量。因此，“共產”的概念是結合中國傳統文化的共同富裕、天下為公。今天，中國實現了全面脫貧，開啟全面現代化進程，這是中國共產黨和習近平總書記得民心的地方。

什麼是黨？美國人傾向於認為中國革命撿了被西方所淘汰的異端學說——馬克思主義，實際上馬克思主義已經中國化了。林肯總統講民有民治民享，為孫中山先生所吸收發展為“三民主義”。而中國共產黨更進一步，強調以人民為中心，中國共產黨是先鋒隊（吃苦在前），也是公僕（享受在後）。因此，中國共產黨不是傳統意義上的西方政黨，更不是中國古代的政黨概念，它追求人類公平正義，倡導人本主義。

美國擔心中國趕超美國，這很自然。但中華民族偉大復興的目標是什麼？不是回到漢唐，也不是超越美國，而是為人類進步事業做出更大貢獻，提供更好、更包容和更優惠的公共產品。從中國傳統文化就不難理解，中國共產黨不僅不會稱霸，而是反對霸權，領導中華民族偉大復興是為開創沒有霸權的時代。群龍無首的群從個人修養而言是無為（道家）、無相（佛家），從社會形態而言即人類命運共同體的最高境界——萬物並育而不相害，道並行而不相悖。秉承傳統文化理念，中國共產黨將反霸作為外交傳統。鄧小平講過：“如果有朝一日中國要稱霸世界，世界人民就有責任揭露我們，指責我們，並同中國人民一道來反對稱霸的中國。”中國共產黨強調人類命運共同體，告別霸權時代，這是對人類文明的重要貢獻。

事實證明，把美國所面臨的問題歸結於中國，歸結於中國共產黨，解決不了美國的問題。當初特朗普總統對華髮起貿易戰，解決不了美國產業迴流、資金迴流、就業機會迴流問題，反而讓中國更強大。今天換種方式打壓中國也解決不了美國領導權問題。反過來，中國可能是美國解決自身問題的一個夥伴，而不是造成美國問題的原因。

重建政治互信，首先要解決認識論問題。要從人類文明、中華文明史的高度理解中國共產黨。中美可就中國共產黨背後的中國傳統文化理念和全球化核心價值觀展開政治對話，累積互信，避免誤判。

I once asked Dr. Henry Kissinger whether he had seen any Marxist classics in late Chairman Mao's personal library, since Mao had received him there multiple times. His answer was probably not. There were all kinds of thread-stitched books, all Chinese classics.

Since the Chinese don't believe in gods, the Chinese communists are atheists, so how can they be trusted? Thus, Americans often describe “communist China” by using such terms as “dictatorship,” “opaque,” “unfree,” “non-believers,” “undemocratic,” “no human rights,” “unstable” and “inhuman.”It seems that understanding the Communist Party of China is the key to rebuilding China-U.S. political mutual confidence, because U.S. misunderstanding and misjudgments about China are focused on how to understand the CPC. Party leadership, as inscribed in the Chinese Constitution, is the most fundamental characteristic and biggest systemic advantage of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Only when the U.S. side understands and respects this will it stop finding fault with China on such matters as Taiwan, Xinjiang, State-owned enterprises and labor rights.

Here are three important misgivings to overcome:

• Seeing China as an alien that can evolve.Some people lament the failure of the U.S. policy, begun under Richard Nixon, of engaging China. Seeing they have successfully turned Japan into a Western country, they wanted to convert China likewise, neglecting the fact that China has been a singular, independent entity since ancient times, a civilization 5,000 years old, and it is unlikely to adopt a completely Western model. But China has learned a lot from Western civilization. Traditional China has developed into a modern China and is striding toward a China that faces the world, as evident through the Belt and Road Initiative and the idea of a “community with a shared future for mankind.”

• Believing the biggest difference between China and the West lies in the CPC.Neglecting CPC leadership combines with misunderstandings of traditional Chinese culture. The assimilation of the cream of Western civilization by a 5,000-year civilization is similar to the Buddhist religion being incorporated into the culture of the central plains of China, giving rise to the theories of Buddhism and Zen.

• Believing the Chinese revolution picked up what the West had discarded as heresy: Marxism.Actually Marxism has been Sinicized and is no longer what is imagined as Soviet-style Marxism, which arose from a mixture of backward Russian serfdom, Slavic culture and theories of communist revolution. But it has been modified and integrated with the splendid Chinese civilization.

To eliminate these misgivings, the CPC must be understood in three dimensions — 100, 500 and 5,000 years.

100 years: The CPC's catchword has evolved from “Communist Party/communism” to “China/socialism,” and socialism itself has been Sinicized from the perspectives of movement, institutions and civilization.It is worrying that Americans are increasingly seeing China through the prism of ideology and nation-state, rather than from the perspective of history and culture. Nor has China fully sorted out the inherent correlation between the CPC and Chinese civilization, which favors grand unity. The CPC's logic involves “standing up,” “getting rich” and “growing strong,” as well the transformation from a revolutionary party to a ruling party and finally to a governing party.

500 years: Since the industrial revolution 500 years ago, the prosperity of Western civilization has also benefited China. The CPC-led country has built the world's largest industrial system and become the largest industrialized manufacturing base. It is now the largest digitalized country. Now is time to think about the CPC as the genesis of China's peaceful rise and great rejuvenation.

5,000 years: That the CPC has adapted well to the popular culture of China and adapted to and preserved a state of grand unity is evidence that the soil of 5,000 years of civilization has borne fruit. The CPC has learned from Western civilization and integrated it with traditional Chinese culture.Thus, China-U.S. strategic dialogue can start with the core values of domestic and global governance and then explore the CPC's governing logic in such realms as climate change, public health and digitalization. The two countries can work together for fairness and justice for mankind.

As the CPC celebrates its 100th anniversary, it is important for Americans to understand, to rebuild their outlook on the CPC and hence their outlook on China. For that there are three key words: China, communist and party.

China: The Communist Party has been localized in China. Sinicization means it has been integrated with the Chinese revolution and traditional culture, transforming the traditional ideals of eliminating wealth gaps and grand unity under heaven into today's building of a society with all-around moderate prosperity and realizing all-around modernization.Why does the CPC emphasize a people-centered governance philosophy? The cultural gene can be found in Chapter 49 of “Tao Te Ching”:“The sage has no invariable mind of his own; he makes the mind of the people his mind. To those who are good [to me], I am good; and to those who are not good [to me], I am also good — and thus [all] get to be good. To those who are sincere [with me], I am sincere; and to those who are not sincere [with me], I am also sincere; — and thus [all] get to be sincere.”Traditional Chinese culture appreciates harmony rather than revolution and struggle. A “community with a shared future for mankind” reflects the integration of the CPC's ideals with traditional Chinese culture, which no longer states proletariat overthrowing bourgeois rule but rather believes capitalism and socialism can coexist. It resonates with other cultures' appreciation of harmony, such as the Christian teaching of “one for all, all for one.”The CPC's legitimacy lies not in elections, as Americans understand; it is a choice informed by history, reality and the people. As Daniel Bell said in “The China Model: Political Meritocracy and the Limits of Democracy,” it is election plus selection when it comes to official appointments.

What is China? China is a “civilization-state, pretending to be a [nation-] state.” Traditional Chinese civilization has been transformed by the CPC, and the Chinese civilization in its popular sense doesn't equal a secular one that subscribes to no religious beliefs. It's not that the Chinese don't believe in a god but that they don't have a common god; they respect both those who believe in gods and those who don't. Which is why the CPC can seek truth in facts and demonstrate the greatest possible openness and inclusiveness to achieve social justice and fairness.

Communist: “Communist” as adjective is neither “sharing assets and wives,” as the Kuomintang once smeared it, nor the state capitalism Americans imagine. China's ownership structure is far from as simple as it was in the planned-economy era. The private sector in China contributes more than 50 percent of tax revenues, more than 60 percent of GDP, more than 70 percent of innovations and more than 80 percent of urban jobs. It accounts for more than 90 percent of all enterprises.Therefore, “communist” has incorporated the ideas of common prosperity and public good. China has just bid farewell to poverty and embarked on a journey toward all-around modernization, which is why the CPC and General Secretary Xi Jinping have won hearts.

Party: Americans tend to believe the Chinese revolution picked up what the West trashed as heresy — Marxism. Actually Marxism has been Sinicized and is no longer the Soviet model they assume it to be. Dr. Sun Yat-sen borrowed from former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln's “of the people, by the people, for the people” and developed his “three principles of the people” (nation, civil rights, people's livelihoods).The CPC has taken one step further to accentuate “in the people” (people-centered), “before the people” (pioneer, because they stand out in the face of hardship) and “after the people” (public servant), because they won't relax until the rest of society finds comfort. The CPC isn't a political party in the traditional Western sense, nor one in the traditional Chinese sense. It is seeking fairness and justice for humanity as a whole, and it advocates humanism.The CPC is continuing the religious revolution and the Western Enlightenment. From the separation of politics and religion to our present emphasis on the unity of man and nature, people first, and seeking truth from facts, it is dedicated to helping mankind get rid of superstition.

The U.S. worries China may take its place, which is only natural. How could the U.S., which absolutely does not want to be in second place, tolerate a rising China? What is the goal of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation? It is neither to return to the Han or Tang dynasties, nor to overtake the U.S. but to make greater contributions to human progress and provide public goods that are better, more inclusive and more affordable. From the perspective of traditional culture, it is not difficult to understand that the CPC will not only not seek hegemony but instead will oppose it. The CPC is spearheading the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation to open up a new era that is free of hegemony.As a Chinese diplomatic tradition, China's opposition to hegemony is also obvious in the China-U.S. Shanghai Communique of 1972. Deng Xiaoping once said, “If one day China seeks hegemony in the world, people from all over the world share the obligation to expose us, condemn us and oppose us as a hegemon along with the Chinese people.” Rather, the CPC wants to build a community with a shared future for mankind and wants to end the era of hegemony. This is an important contribution to mankind.

Facts have shown that attributing all the problems facing the U.S. to China and the CPC won't resolve the American troubles. Former U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war against China failed to bring industry, capital and jobs back to the U.S. Instead, it made China stronger.Suppressing China in a different way today won't solve the U.S. leadership problem either. China could become a partner in solving U.S. problems, rather than being blamed as the cause of trouble. Resolving basic epistemological issues is a precondition for rebuilding mutual political confidence.

The CPC should be understood from the perspective of human civilizations and, especially, Chinese civilization. China and the U.S. may carry out political dialogue on the ideas in traditional Chinese culture that support the CPC, together with the core values of globalization, to accumulate mutual trust and prevent misjudgments.