[3] In April 1987, Li was elected archbishop of Xi'an through the "self-election and self-consecration" process (自选自圣).
In December 1991, when the Shaanxi Catholic Seminary [zh] was founded, Li was appointed the inaugural president.
[6] He was accompanied by the auxiliary bishop, Anthony Dang Mingyan, and other priests and laity.
In the interview, Li acknowledged the papal supremacy, and claimed that the most pressing problem was electing new bishops.
He believed that it was the best time to evangelize in China, and was confident in younger Chinese bishops.
Although he recognized that the consecration of bishops posed a challenge for both parties, he speculated that China and the Vatican could establish diplomatic relations within five years.