Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture
In March 1995 he was promoted to become the vice-secretary of Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, a position he held until March 1996, when he was transferred to Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture and appointed its party secretary. Li served as a Standing Committee member of the CPC Sichuan Committee and Secretary of Sichuan between August 2000 to May 2002.