China's defence ministry and State Council information office did not respond to requests for comment.
If his departure is confirmed, Li will be the second senior minister to lose his job in recent months.
Qin Gang was removed as foreign minister in July, one month after he was last seen in public.
U.S. defence officials have long wanted to reestablish routine communications with counterparts directly involved in command decisions.
Qin was made foreign minister in Dec. 2022 and Li became defence minister in March.
Persons:
Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Liu Zhenli, Liu, Li Shangfu, Li, Qin Gang, Qin, Nancy Pelosi, Xi Jinping, Xi, James Char, Lloyd Austin, Alexander Neill, Willy Lam, Chang Dingqiu, Katerina Ang, Daniel Flynn
Organizations:
Political Consultative, REUTERS, Rights, Defence, Reuters, Russia, Joint Staff Department of, Central Military Commission, State, U.S . Department of Defense, ., CMC, Xiangshan, National, Committee, Communist Party's, U.S, Pentagon, People's, Army, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, Washington, PUBLIC, National Defence, Joint Staff Department, Pacific Forum, Jamestown Foundation, Xinhua, Air Force, Thomson
Locations:
Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, United States, U.S, Taipei, ., Singapore, Honolulu, Vietnam