Mr. Trump, who played 18 holes with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan during his visit in February, will have to find another way to build a warm rapport with his Chinese counterpart.

Although as many as a million people in China, not necessarily part of the wealthy elite, play golf, the game has become a symbol of capitalist excesses and corruption in the eyes of the Communist Party. That view goes back to 1949, when Mao Zedong declared golf the “sport for millionaires.”

Mr. Xi has led a crackdown on corruption, and golf has been depicted as a temptation that has led party officials astray. Dozens of courses across China have been shut in recent years, ostensibly to preserve water and arable lands.

What might Mr. Trump and Mr. Xi do instead of playing golf in between discussions about trade or what to do about North Korea’s nuclear provocations?