Chinese President Hu Jintao called for inclusive development in Asia on Friday as he attended the opening ceremony of the 2011 annual meeting of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA).

As the second decade of the 21st century dawns upon us, Asia is at a new starting point in its development, President Hu said as he delivered a keynote speech at the forum's opening ceremony in China's southern town of Boao.

"As the trend toward multi-polarity and economic globalization deepens, the people of Asia have the major task of maintaining both development and stability," he said.

"That is why the theme of this year' s BFA annual conference -- Inclusive Development: Common Agenda and New Challenges -- is so relevant," said the President.

It was the third time that President Hu attended the Boao Forum, a non-government platform for global political, business and academic leaders. Hu delivered speeches at the annual Boao Forum meetings in 2004 and 2008 respectively.

Among attendants of the meeting are Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, South African President Jacob Zuma, Republic of Korea (ROK) Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Zapatero and Ukrainian Prime Minister Mikola Azarov.

More than 1,400 personages from around the globe attended the meeting, which marked the tenth anniversary of the inauguration of the Boao Forum.

"Asians belong to one family," said the Chinese leader, adding that the people of Asia have a shared mission to promote common development and build a harmonious Asia.

Hu proposed that Asian countries respect diversity of civilization and promote good-neighborly relations.

"We need to translate the diversity of our region into a driving force for more dynamic exchanges and cooperation, increase mutual understanding and trust, and take our cooperation to higher levels," he said.

The Asian countries need to transform their economic development pattern in keeping with global trends, restructure their economies, build capacity for scientific and technological innovation, and develop the green economy, said the President.

"We need to focus on both the speed and quality of development, and ensure both efficiency and quality," he added.

"We need to integrate our effort to develop the economy with that to improve people' s well-being, and achieve coordinated economic and social development," he said.

Hu said that Asian countries need also to share development opportunities and meet challenges together.

"Large countries should support small ones, rich countries should help poor ones and all should help each other so as to seize opportunities and tackle challenges together," said Hu.

The Asian countries need to "seek common ground while shelving difference and enhance common security," reject the Cold War mentality and zero-sum approach, and advocate a new security concept that features mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and coordination, said the President.

Hu hailed the "solidarity spirit" of helping each other in difficult times in Asia.

In recent years, Asians have worked hand in hand to cope with various challenges, from the Asian financial crisis to the international financial crisis, and from the Indian Ocean tsunami to the massive Wenchuan earthquake in China, said the President.

"As regional integration gathers momentum, the people of Asia have seen their destinies woven together closer than ever," he said.

Mentioning the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan last month, President Hu said the Chinese people and people across Asia share the pain of the Japanese people and have extended a helping hand to Japan.

"We once again demonstrated to the world the Asian people' s spirit of showing solidarity in difficult times," said the President. "We are confident that the Japanese people will overcome this disaster and rebuild their homeland."

President Hu also pointed out that Asian economy was the first to recover from the international financial crisis and has become an important engine for world economic recovery and growth.

"Asia's development is not only changing the destiny of the Asian people, but also exerting a growing impact on the development of the world," he said.