Chinese President Hu Jintao met with members of the board of directors of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Thursday evening in Sanya City of south China's Hainan Province.

He is expected to deliver a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the BFA held in Boao, a town some 180 km northeast of Sanya, on Friday.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the inauguration of the BFA.

The BFA has grown into one of the world's influential economic forums and has made positive contributions in promoting regional economic cooperation and strengthening dialogue and cooperation between Asia and other regions in the world, Hu said.

Hu said he hopes this year's BFA, under the theme of "Inclusive Development: Common Agenda and New Challenges", could spark comprehensive and in-depth talks on the topic and offer suggestions for inclusive development and sustainable growth.

Chairman Yasuo Fukuda of BFA's board of directors, also Japan's former prime minister, expressed his appreciation to China for its support to the forum.

The BFA was preceded by the BRICS Leaders Meeting on Thursday in Sanya.

The BRICS summit was chaired by President Hu and attended by Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and South African President Jacob Zuma.