BEIJING -- The Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, will convene its 18th session on May 18 in Beijing, according to a statement issued after a chairpersons' meeting Monday.

Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, presided over the chairpersons' meeting of the 13th NPC Standing Committee.

A key task of the session on May 18 is to make preparations for the upcoming annual session of the NPC, the statement read.

The chairpersons' meeting suggested that the 18th session of the 13th NPC Standing Committee review a work report by the NPC Standing Committee, which is to be submitted for deliberation to the annual session of the 13th NPC later this month.

The legislators will consider the draft agenda of the annual session, a draft name list of the presidium and secretary-general, and a draft name list of non-voting delegates for the upcoming annual session, it said.

The third annual session of the 13th NPC will begin in Beijing on May 22.