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Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) based on high temperature (100-300^oC) proton exchange membranes (HT-PEM) offer the significant advantages over the current low temperature DMFCs based on perfluorosulfonic acid (e.g., Nafion), such as elimination of CO poisoning, faster reaction kinetics, higher energy efficiency, and reduced usage of precious Pt-based catalyst. Here we report a novel inorganic proton exchange membrane based on 12-tungstophosphiric acid (HPW)-mesoporous silica (HPW/meso-silica) nanocomposite. The HPW-meso-silica was synthesized via self-assembly route assisted with a structure-directing surfactant, P123. The best results were obtained on 25wt%HPW-meso-silica with a high proton conductivity of 0.091 Scm^-1 at 100^oC under 100%RH and 0.034 Scm^-1 at 200^oC under 3%RH. The maximum power density of a cell with a 25wt% HPW-meso-silica membrane was 19 mWcm^-2 at 25^oC and increased to 235 mWcm^-2 at 150^oC in methanol/O₂.