ISMAILIA, Egypt, June 12 (Xinhuanet) -- A Chinese naval fleet on Wednesday crossed the Suez Canal during its round-the-world voyage, the first in the Chinese Navy's history.

   The fleet, composed of a missile guided destroyer, the Qingdao, and a supply ship, the Taicang, is expected to take up a berth atthe northern Egyptian port city of Alexandria on Friday to start afive-day visit to Egypt.

   The two vessels, led by Ding Yiping, commander of the North China Sea Fleet, weighed anchor at a naval port in China's easternport city of Qingdao on May 15.

   The warships with more than 500 crew members on board were designed and built in China.  Enditem