Automotive giant General Motors has announced it is planning to partner the Chinese government in its efforts to develop hydrogen fuel cell based cars.

The emissions-friendly technology is being touted by the firm as a way to reduce society's dependence on oil and also to cut the adverse environmental impact cars have.

Phil Murtaugh, GM China's chairman and chief executive, points to a variety of factors that suggests the Chinese are amenable to the new technology.

While China is the fastest growing automotive market in the world, it remains at the beginning of its development, both in terms of the number of cars sold and the infrastructure that surrounds it.

As such GM officials believe the Chinese government could easily begin promoting alternative-fuel cars, setting up special hydrogen filling stations as it builds the traditional gas stations.

'In the next few days, we'll be talking to Chinese officials ... to understand what is the approach here,' Byron McCormick, executive director for GM fuel-cell activities, told Associated Press.

'They understand that we would like to be part of that and we're capable of being part of it.'

Mr Murtaugh, who will join a team of GM executives meeting vice premier Zeng Peiyan among others, says China is already developing fuel-cell vehicles, hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles.

GM says it expects hydrogen-fuel cell cars to be commercially viable by 2010.