Kaifong associations or kaifong welfare associations are traditional mutual aid organisations which emerged in Hong Kong after the Second World War. They were set up with the help of the Secretariat for Chinese Affairs, particularly the Society Welfare Council, of the British colonial government, which had the intention of developing non-governmental civil society for the purpose of promoting moderate politics among the general public. The term kaifong is a Cantonese romanisation of the Chinese 街坊, which means people living in the same neighbourhood, and kaifong associations mainly aim at serving the residents of specific neighbourhoods.