As President Trump begins his second term, Indo-Pacific leaders look forward to engaging with him not just in the White House, but also on the golf course, connecting with the new US administration through “Golf Diplomacy”!
An Eye for a Birdie
Recently, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh told attendees at the World Economic Forum in Davos that he is willing to “play golf all day long.” He also stated that his government has made contact with the new US administration and is looking towards deeper cooperation.
Vietnam has already made its tee shot with a delegation to Mar-a-Lago earlier this year. Led by self-made billionaire Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, the delegation joined President Trump and billionaire Elon Musk on the golf course. Thao, the founder of VietJet, signed a historic $12.7 billion deal with Boeing during President Trump’s first visit to Vietnam in 2017, purchasing 100 airplanes—an order later expanded to 200. Fourteen aircraft are currently being assembled in Everett, Washington, with deliveries expected in 2025. The VietJet-Boeing deal is one of many partnerships contributing to US-Vietnam bilateral economic relations, which has grown from $451 million in 1995 to nearly $124 billion in 2023. VinFast, a Vietnamese automobile company, is constructing a $4 billion EV factory in North Carolina, with a promise of bringing 7,500 new jobs into the area.
A Brief History of “Golf Diplomacy”
Golf has long been regarded as a key business networking activity in many countries like Japan and the Philippines, facilitating relationships and fostering mutual understanding not only among nations but also among individuals. In Southeast Asia, golf plays a significant role in diplomatic engagements among ASEAN leaders, serving as a platform for social interaction and strengthening ties.
In 1957, Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi visited the United States on a historic trip, marking a new chapter in US-Japan relations. During the visit, President Eisenhower invited Prime Minister Kishi for a round of golf, famously claiming beforehand that his “golfing form has become deplorable” and expressing hope that the Prime Minister was not an expert. Prime Minister Kishi reassured him that he was not. Experts considered Prime Minister Kishi’s trip a “triumph of diplomacy,” laying the foundation for a strong US-Japan alliance.
Decades later, Prime Minister Kishi’s grandson, Late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, continued the tradition of “Golf Diplomacy” with President Donald Trump. In February 2017, Prime Minister Abe visited the Mar-a-Lago golf course in Florida for a round with President Trump. Prime Minister Abe even gifted President Trump a gold-colored golf club while President Trump gave Prime Minister Abe a golf shirt in return.
During President Trump’s later official visits to Japan, he and the Prime Minister enjoyed friendly competition with professional golfers, playing alongside Hideki Matsuyama in 2017 and Isao Aoki in 2019. Late Prime Minister Abe became President Trump’s favorite golfing partner, playing a total of five times during the President’s first term.
President Trump also used golf as a cultural bridge during his 2017 address to South Korea’s National Assembly, where he praised South Korean golfers as “one of the best on earth” in recognition of Park Sung Hyun’s monumental US Open victory, earning applause from lawmakers.
As leaders aim for a birdie with President Trump, “Golf Diplomacy” continues to display its power in strengthening bilateral ties between Indo-Pacific countries and the United States.
Alex Vu is a Spring 2025 Young Professional at the East-West Center in Washington. Alex is currently a junior at the University of South Florida, studying Econometrics & Political Science.
Cultural Connections
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