Li joined the People's Liberation Army (PLA) as a technician at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in 1982.

In June 2024, he was expelled from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) following corruption charges and his case transferred to the military's judiciary for criminal prosecution, and his rank of General revoked.

He is the son of Li Shaozhu (Chinese: 李绍珠), a Red Army veteran and former high-ranking officer of the PLA Railway Force [zh].

[2] In 2016, Li was appointed Deputy Commander of the newly established PLA Strategic Support Force, which is responsible for cyberspace, space, and other high-tech warfare.

[7] On January 18, 2023, Li Shangfu attended the CMC promotion ceremony, and was appointed State Councilor and Minister of National Defense on March 12 of the same year, succeeding Wei Fenghe.

[8] According to The Diplomat, Li's promotion reflects Chinese attempts to prioritize aerospace in its defense modernization program, against a backdrop of increasing technological competition between China and the United States.

As part of his four-day visit, he met with Russian president Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in Moscow.

[14] His absence had been observed and speculated on by U.S. government officials, who told the Financial Times they believed that Li was under investigation.

[20] On 27 June 2024, the CCP Politburo announced that Li, along with former defense minister Wei Fenghe, have been expelled from the party for "disciplinary and law violations", and the case has been referred to the PLA's procuratorial organs for criminal prosecution, with Li being accused of accepting financial bribes as well as bribing others.

[23] On 20 September 2018, Li Shangfu, along with the Equipment Development Department, were sanctioned by the U.S. government for "engaging in significant transactions with persons" sanctioned under United States federal law CAATSA, namely for transactions that involved "Russia's transfer to China of Su-35 combat aircraft and S-400 surface-to-air missile system-related equipment.