Trivia: Mulan's spoken voice is provided by Ming-Na Wen, Dr. Jing-Mei Chen on "ER". Mulan's singing voice is provided by Lea Salonga, who has also been on "ER".
Trivia: The song "Reflection" was originally meant to have two verses and a second chorus, slightly different than the first one.
Trivia: Disney special effects artists made up a program that can make a bunch of different people that all look different without them having to draw every single character. They used this in the scene when all of the Huns come over the snowy hill.
Trivia: In the scene where Mulan is revealed to be a woman after the avalanche, the symbol on the tent and on the doctor's case is a very ancient Chinese symbol for a doctor (like the caduceus and the red cross in Western culture) and NOT the flag of Japan. Revealed in the Audio Commentary on the 15th Anniversary Edition DVD.
Trivia: This was the first Disney film on DVD.
Answer: For the reasons stated. He believes him to be a highly competent soldier and trainer. While this opinion is probably influenced by Li Shang being his son, it does prove to be correct, as Li Shang's training is what allows the small group to succeed in battling the Huns.