‘You are a hero’: Yunnan’s sole female anti-drug chief champions women in drug war

An anti-narcotics police officer in China who has been working on the frontline without obscuring her identity for the past nine years, incurring more than 10 injuries, has won massive admiration from the mainland public.Li Xiangli is the only female police station chief in Yunnan province, located in the southwestern part of the country.She and her 47 colleagues are stationed at a checkpoint in Yongren county on the border between Yunnan and Sichuan province, where their main duty is to examine the vehicles passing through on the highways.Li Xiangli and her 47 colleagues are stationed at a checkpoint in Yongren county, strategically positioned at the border between Yunnan and Sichuan provinces, where their primary responsibility is to inspect vehicles passing through the highways. Photo: CCTVLi was put in the spotlight in late June by the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald to observe the annual International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26.Yunnan is China’s frontline in the fight against narcotics as it borders the notorious Golden Triangle areas in Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand.The route connecting Yunnan and its northern neighbour Sichuan is vital for transporting drugs to the hinterland of China, making Li and her team’s work challenging.An average of 20,000 vehicles pass through their checkpoint every day, the report said.Unlike many other anti-narcotics officers who hide their identities for fear of criminals’ revenge, Li and her colleagues chose to reveal their faces.In November 2024, Li was awarded a First-Class Merit Citation by the Ministry of Public Security, the highest honour available for police officers in the country, adding to the numerous accolades she has received throughout her career. Photo: CCTV“I expose my face. I just want everyone to know what the woman safeguarding the northern gate of Yunnan looks like,” said the fearless Li in an interview with the media.In the past nine years, Li has checked 13 million passenger trips and 7.28 million vehicles, having made no errors so far. A total of 542 suspects have been apprehended, and 109.5 kg of drugs seized.In November 2024, Li was awarded a First-Class Merit Citation by the Ministry of Public Security, the highest honour for a police officer in the country.While fighting against drug dealers, Li endured more than 10 injuries.Further ReadingOne incident occurred in August 2018 when Li became suspicious of the car boot of a man and was ready to stop him for inspection. He instantly escaped into the nearby woods, where he used a knife to stab Li, almost cutting off her index finger.On June 8, 2019, a team of 30 anti-drug police officers in Yunnan, China, seized 1.5 million tablets of the drug known as “magu” after four hours of operation. Photo: Costfoto/Future Publishing via Getty ImagesThe man was later caught by the police, with 11kg of methamphetamine discovered in his car.On another occasion in July 2019, when Li was interrogating a woman holding an infant in her arms, the woman unexpectedly threw the baby onto the ground in an effort to create chaos.Li immediately rushed to the ground to save the baby but sustained a broken middle finger in the process.On her leg, there is still a long bruise mark that formed after she was scratched by a sharp object in a truck years ago. Li searched the vehicle for six hours before finally finding drugs concealed under camouflage tea leaves.Regardless of the hot weather, Li must always wear an armoured vest and gear weighing as much as 8kg.After being exposed to roaring traffic for an extended time, Li’s hearing became irreversibly damaged.After prolonged exposure to the blaring traffic, Li suffered irreversible damage to her hearing. Photo: CCTVHowever, Li stated that she never considered changing her job.“Male and female officers play no different roles in the fight against narcotics. As long as I am on duty, I will not let drugs escape from my sight,” she said.Mainland Chinese internet users expressed heartfelt respect and gratitude for Li.“When deciding to expose your face in drug enforcement work, you have put your own safety at risk. You are a hero!” said one internet user.Another person remarked: “Thank you for your devotion. Please protect yourself and your family.”