[2] During the Second Sino-Japanese War, Li, as chief engineer, established the first airplane factory in China – the Dading Airplane Factory (大定飛機製造廠) in Dading, current Guizhou Province, Southwestern China.
Li participated in the examination for the Boxer Rebellion Indemnity Scholarship Program, and obtained the same score as Qian Xuesen.
[4] Nevertheless, Li went to study in the United States and received master and doctor's degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
In 1951, Li collaborated with Charles Stark Draper and published an article on optimal control, which opened a new field of automation.
Li founded several companies including Dynisco, Setra Systems (co-founded with his brother S. Y. Lee), and Y.T.Li Engineering.