[3] His father, General Li Hanhun, was governor of Guangdong Province from 1938 to 1945 and was a Cabinet minister in the Nationalist government of Chiang Kai-shek.
[8] Internationally he became known for his research and writing on China's legal system and has been a consultant to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
[9][10] From 1981 to 1990, Li was President of the East-West Center in Honolulu,[11] dedicated to promoting understanding between the United States and Asia-Pacific nations through cooperative study, training, and research.
[13] In 1984, Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang made Hawaii his first stop on his official visit to the United States after Li flew to China and extended him a personal invitation.
[16][17] Li also served as a director of Hawaiian Electric Industries, Grumman Corporation,[9] American Savings Bank,[18] and AEL China Generating Company.