BEIJING - Nearly 3,000 lawmakers elected the new leadership of China's top legislature through secret ballots at a plenary meeting on Thursday.

Zhang Dejiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, was elected chairman of the Standing Committee of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC), replacing Wu Bangguo.

Zhang will be assisted by 13 newly-elected vice-chairpersons, namely Li Jianguo, Wang Shengjun, Chen Changzhi, Yan Junqi, Wang Chen, Shen Yueyue, Ji Bingxuan, Zhang Ping, Qiangba Puncog, Arken Imirbaki, Wan Exiang, Zhang Baowen and Chen Zhu.

Wang Chen was also elected secretary-general of the NPC Standing Committee.

After the elections, a younger generation born after the founding of New China joined the top legislature leadership and take the center stage, including 56-year-old Shen Yueyue, the youngest vice-chairperson.

The new NPC leadership lineup is made up of experienced ministers, well-trained CPC officials, regional leaders and heads of democratic parties who have shown their leadership capabilities in their previous positions.

According to the election results, CPC members take up eight of the 13-seat vice-chairmanship of the top legislature, namely Li Jianguo, Wang Shengjun, Wang Chen, Shen Yueyue, Ji Bingxuan, Zhang Ping, Qiangba Puncog and Arken Imirbaki, while leaders of non-CPC parties take the remaining five seats.

The number of CPC member vice-chairpersons of the top legislature remains the same as for the 11th NPC Standing Committee.

Yan and Shen are the only two female vice-chairpersons.

Qiangba Puncog and Arken Imirbaki are vice-chairpersons from the country's ethnic minority groups, a tradition that has been followed since the very beginning of the top legislature over the years.