The Joint Declaration on the Question of Macau, or Sino–Portuguese Joint Declaration, was a treaty between Portugal and the People's Republic of China over the status of Macau. The full name of the treaty is Joint Declaration of the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Portuguese Republic on the question of Macao. Signed in March, 1987 the Declaration established the process and conditions of the transfer of the territory from Portuguese rule to the People's Republic of China. The process was similar to the transfer of Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty by the United Kingdom in 1997.