The art of listening to the people goes beyond merely providing the community with an opportunity to express its views. It also involves a willingness on the part of the government to consider the opinions received and, if necessary, to act on them. There is, above all, a need to keep an open mind.
This should be self-evident, but it is a concept the government seems to have difficulty grasping. In the case of the proposed West Kowloon cultural district, the failure to show flexibility could have very serious consequences.
Chief Secretary Donald Tsang Yam-kuen adopted a defiant tone when facing questions from legislators recently. His message was that backtracking on core elements of the controversial plan for the cultural hub was not an option.
There is, it seems, no question of the government reconsidering its decision to hand the prime waterfront site to a single developer. Nor is it prepared to countenance proposals which do not include Lord Foster's enormous glass canopy - however attractive they may be.
This is a stubborn approach. If maintained, it will undermine the consultation process and risk depriving the huge project of much-needed community support and legitimacy.
Ironically, there is one important aspect upon which Mr Tsang is prepared to be flexible - but with the developers rather than the public. The government is happy to contemplate allowing them to push up the plot ratio, which would pave the way for more residential and commercial buildings on the site.
The government's idea of creating an iconic cultural vision for Hong Kong, topped by a unique glass canopy, is attractive. This newspaper has given qualified support to the idea in the past. But we are prepared to keep an open mind - and so should Mr Tsang.
