On 27 April 2001, NTID and Tianjin Technical College for the Deaf of Tianjin University of Technology signed a memorandum of understanding to officially undertake a multilateral partnership to implement PEN-International. Signing for NTID was James J. DeCaro, director of PEN-International. Signing for Tianjin Technical College for the Deaf was Guodong Bao, director of the college.