He or she is a technocrat exactly who instructed since the a hydroelectric engineer. Li worked about Ministry out of Drinking water Resources for almost all out of their field, except for two years going your local h2o department when you look at the Heilongjiang into the 1999–2001, when latest Vice premier Liu Guozhong is actually an older cadre within the brand new provincial class bureaucracy, and a few many years due to the fact an effective Deputy Class Assistant and you can Governor of Anhui Province in advance of his fulfilling given that Minister in . Li’s appointment resonates having Xi’s commitment to conserve China’s canals, particularly the higher Purple River, which was a typical interest out of Li’s throughout the his community that have new ministry.