The People’s Liberation Army has sent 10 of its female members to join the garrison guarding the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea, according to the PLA Navy. The first group of female members sent by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to join the garrison guarding the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea is seen in this picture taken on December 11, 2017. [Photo by Li Tang for chinadaily.com.cn]The Navy said in a news release Monday afternoon that this has been the first time for female service members to be stationed on Nansha Islands, the country’s southernmost territories. The first group of female members sent by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to join the garrison guarding the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea is seen in this picture taken on December 11, 2017. Before them, there have been female PLA members on the islands but they were in short missions and still took orders from units that sent them there, the China Daily reporter learned.