The Government of China, through the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), will undertake a US$ 32 million co-funded project with the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to catalyze the cost-reduction of fuel cell buses (FCBs) for public transit applications in Chinese cities. Fuel cell bus technology is considered one of the most promising technologies for the development of emission-free public transport vehicles, and China's FCB project is part of a four-phase GEF strategy involving FCB demonstrations in the Brazil, Egypt, India, and Mexico. Through a cooperation approach, it is believed that the GEF projects, and other similar projects in industrialized countries, can bring down the cost of FCB technology to levels that will enable their widespread cost-competitive introduction in the mega-cities of many developing countries.

　　An Inception Meeting was held on March 27, 2003 in Beijing to formally initiate the project activities. The objective of the meeting was to review and seek comments of key stakeholders in government and donor agencies on the goals, organization, approach and work plan for Part I of the project.

　　The meeting was attended by representatives from UNDP, the Government of China (MOST and associated State Ministries ), the municipalities of Beijing and Shanghai, the Beijing and Shanghai municipal bus companies, technical experts at the national and municipal levels, project officials from MOST, Beijing and Shanghai PMOs (Project Management Offices), companies (domestic and foreign) involved in FCB development and hydrogen production, and representatives of the media.. The total attendance was 110 people.

　　First of all Mr. Shi Dinghuan, Secretary-General of MOST gave opening remarks. Then Mr. Ma Songde (Vice Minister of MOST), Ms. Kerstin Leitner (UNDP Beijing Resident Representative), Mr. Fan Boyuan (Vice Mayor of Beijing Municipal Government) and Mr. Zhang Qibiao (Vice Chairman of Shanghai Science and Technology Commission) gave speeches respectively. Mr. Chen Jiachang (Deputy National Project Director) presented the introduction to the project. Finally Mr. Xu Jing (National Project Director) together with other project officials, chief technical advisor and representatives involved in the project answered some questions of the potential suppliers and the reporters of media. The key speeches and presentations from the meeting are summarized below.

　　In order to implement the project, a Advisory Committee was set up, which included the representatives from UNDP, MOST, State Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Construction, Ministry of Public Security, State Environment Protection Agency, two vice mayors of Beijing and Shanghai Municipal Government. Mr. Ma Songde, Vice Minister of MOST, was the Director of the Advisory Committee, and the Committee will provide overall advice and guidance to the project at the national level, review the project work plan, attend the semi-annual meetings and receive all project reports.

　　The first China FCB Project Team Meeting was held in conjunction with the Inception Meeting in order to familiarize the project team members with each other, to review and seek comments on the goals, organization and approach to the project, and to review and discuss the detailed work plan for Part I of the project. The total attendance was 24 people.