The President's Daily Brief – Afternoon Bulletin

Episode: December 26, 2025 | “Inside Xi Jinping’s Bizarre War on Golf”
Host: Mike Baker (Former CIA Operations Officer)
Podcast: The President’s Daily Brief

Main Theme:

A Deep Dive into Xi Jinping’s War on Golf
In this special edition, Mike Baker examines the surprisingly political story of golf in China, exploring how the sport has become emblematic of corruption, elite privilege, and Western influence—and why “golf diplomacy” with Chinese President Xi Jinping is impossible.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Golf as a Tool of Diplomacy—Except in China

• Golf often serves as a diplomatic tool, particularly in U.S. politics. President Trump leveraged informal golf outings to build relationships, notably with Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, stabilizing the U.S.-Japan alliance during uncertain times.

  • Quote:

    "For world leaders... golf has always been more than a sport. It's also a diplomatic tool... One of the clearest examples of that was Trump's relationship with former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe... It became a cornerstone of Trump's personal style of statecraft..." (02:03)

• The question is posed: Why not approach China’s Xi Jinping with the same informal, golf-based diplomacy? The answer reveals stark political and cultural contrasts.

2. The Historical Roots of Anti-Golf Sentiment in China

• Golf in Communist China was condemned from the outset. After the 1949 revolution, Mao Zedong viewed it as "a sport for millionaires" and closed most golf courses, even converting some to farmland or factories.

  • Quote:

    "Mao saw it as a symbol of wealth, privilege, and Western decadence... He reportedly called it a 'sport for millionaires.'" (05:43)

• The game essentially vanished for decades; it was not just unpopular but “politically toxic.”

3. The Quiet Return—and Explosive Growth—of Golf

• Under Deng Xiaoping’s 1980s-90s reforms, golf quietly returned, with new courses opening near Hong Kong. Despite a 2004 moratorium on new courses, local officials ignored bans, and hundreds sprang up—often cloaked as “eco-parks.”
  • This created a visible rift:
    • For elites, golf was a networking haven and status symbol.
    • For the Communist Party, it represented a dangerous return of class divides.

4. Xi Jinping’s Anti-Corruption Campaign Targets Golf

• Xi’s sweeping campaign aimed to stamp out “not just individual officials, but the appearance of privilege.”

• Golf was swept into the narrative of anti-corruption—seen as a hotbed for privilege, backroom deals, and bribery.

  • Quote:

    "Xi's investigators weren't just looking for bribes slipped in envelopes... they were looking for patterns of behavior, the quiet signals of privilege... Golf fit that profile perfectly." (09:45)

• In 2015, party members were officially banned from golf clubs and related perks. Media painted golf clubs as “arenas of corruption.”

5. Course Closures and Lingering Stigma

• From 2014–2017, Beijing ordered over 100 golf courses closed or reappropriated, targeting land misuse and illicit expansion.
• In 2016, officials “softened” the stance on paper, permitting golf if no perks were accepted, but the stigma endured.
  • Quote:

    "On paper, it was a softening. In reality, the stigma remained." (11:38)

6. Political and Cultural Meaning: Why ‘Golf Diplomacy’ is Impossible with Xi

• For Chinese officials, being seen golfing became “politically radioactive”—a synonym for corruption and Western excess.
• Xi’s political brand is built on discipline, austerity, and ideological purity. A public outing on the golf course with Western leaders would undermine years of anti-corruption messaging.
• Cultural contrast:
  • In the U.S., a president golfing signals approachability.
  • In China, it signals distance from the people and immersion in condemned elite culture.
  • Quote:

    "Golf offered private conversations, loose networks, and informal influence—all things that Xi's centralized system is built to eliminate. The crackdown wasn't cultural, it was political." (13:06)

  • Quote:

    "Trump uses personal diplomacy; Xi uses institutional control. Trump sees the golf course as a place to build trust. Xi sees it as a threat to the party's image." (15:40)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On golf as a diplomatic tool:

  "If golf diplomacy was that effective with Japan, why not try it with China's Xi Jinping?... But what we found was a lot more interesting than we expected." (02:47)

• On why golf is politically toxic:

  "Golf wasn't just a sport. It was a meeting place for businessmen and bureaucrats and party officials... And almost all of it happened out of public view." (08:36)

• On cultural divergence:

  "For the Chinese public, and especially for party members, that photo op would not say diplomacy. It would say hypocrisy. And in the Chinese political system, hypocrisy is a vulnerability." (15:10)

Timeline of Key Segments

• 00:35: Introduction to the topic—golf, diplomacy, and the spark for the episode
• 02:03: Trump-Abe golf diplomacy; pondering golf for US-China relations
• 05:40: Mao Zedong’s banishment of golf after 1949
• 07:57: Golf’s resurgence post-economic reforms and its covert proliferation
• 09:45: Xi’s anti-corruption campaign and the focus on golf as a privilege signal
• 11:38: Party regulations, club bans, and the enduring stigma
• 12:55: Return from intermission—why golf is a political liability in China
• 13:43: Host breaks down why golf diplomacy is impossible with Xi
• 15:10: Cultural comparison: Golf’s symbolism in US vs. China
• 16:00: Conclusion: Broader implications for US-China diplomatic relations

Conclusion

Mike Baker closes by emphasizing the fundamental differences between American and Chinese political cultures. Golf, a symbol of diplomacy and casual power-brokering in the U.S., is a political vulnerability in China, loaded with meanings of privilege and corruption. This cultural divergence explains why attempts at “golf diplomacy” with Xi Jinping are not only fruitless but politically hazardous.

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Summary prepared for listeners seeking a comprehensive understanding of this episode’s unique lens on politics, culture, and diplomacy in China.