Zhang, a mainland-born US citizen who took up the position a year ago, faced strong criticism from students over comments he made following the storming of the Legislative Council by demonstrators on July 1. He condemned the violence, which he described as destructive. Students felt he had failed to empathise with them and ignored violence by police during the protests.

A petition calling on Zhang to retract the statement was signed by more than 2,100. There was also a protest march on the university’s campus. He demonstrated a willingness not only to talk, but to listen. When around 100 students gathered at his residence late at night, he met them and, using a megaphone, said he appreciated their concerns for society. Zhang drew applause when he pledged not to allow police to enter the campus to arrest students without a warrant and promised support for those affected by the protests. His willingness to engage them helped defuse the situation.

Zhang also promised to take part in an open forum with students. At that event on Thursday he stood by his condemnation of violence, but he also showed humility, saying criticism of his comments on the protests had been fair. He admitted he had failed to address the frustrations of young protesters and promised to listen more carefully in the future. His comments at the forum did not satisfy everyone. But it was a good start. Zhang treated the students as equals and with respect. He spoke of the importance of dialogue and of sometimes “agreeing to disagree”. This is what the city needs.