Adaptive Resistance: China's Feminist Movement Under Escalating Authoritarianism (2013-2023)

This study examines the paradoxical persistence and resilience of China's feminist movement during the first decade of Xi Jinping's rule (2013-2023), a period marked by escalating authoritarian repression. Through a novel dual-dimension analytical framework that separates strategic intent from effect, this research investigates how feminist activists achieved remarkable continuity by navigating trade-offs between popularization (widespread dissemination capacity) and politicization (threshold for state classification as political subversion). Drawing on a comprehensive database of 300-500 mobilization events and employing environmental adjustment coefficients to account for changing communication and political contexts, the study identifies three key adaptation mechanisms: compensatory adaptation (offsetting political space loss through enhanced popularization), boundary identification (calibrating actions to remain within tolerable limits), and technological opportunity utilization (leveraging digital platforms for expanded reach). The analysis reveals that following major crackdowns in 2015, 2018, and 2021, the movement underwent recursive strategic adjustments, consistently expanding popularization efforts while limiting politicization levels. This gendered strategic adaptation demonstrates that resistance under authoritarianism transcends binary success-failure frameworks, instead representing a dynamic, dispersed process that continuously reshapes both the practice and meaning of resistance. The findings contribute to understanding how social movements maintain political relevance under repressive conditions, revealing both the creativity of movement actors and the sophisticated yet limited nature of authoritarian control in contemporary China.