Li Desheng served on the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party from 1969–1985, one of the most turbulent periods of the People's Republic.

After the Korean War, Li was promoted to major general and returned to Anhui Province in the Nanjing Military Region.

[6] In 1970 he got the post of director of the General Political Department of the People's Liberation Army (a position described as “Military Grand Inquisitor”[7]), and in Autumn 1971 he was appointed first secretary of the CCP Anhui Committee.

Shortly after, he was appointed commander of the Beijing Military Region, as part of a plan by Mao to remove Lin Biao's allies from key posts.

Li’s last jobs were as political commissar of the PLA National Defence University (1985–90) and vice-chairman of the Central Advisory Commission.

At the time of his death he held the honorary presidency of the Beijing Institute of Modernization and the All-China Wushu Association, and had been a senior advisor to the China Society of Military Science since 1991.