 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.Li was elevated to the Deputy Party Secretary of Sichuan in May 2002, he remained in that position until September 2011.