A Pakistani worker checks a bicycle during a permanent strike in a fast-fashion outlet factory owned by a Chinese company in Prato, central Italy, on August 1, 2025. Chinese groups in the district thrive on the so-called "Prato system", long rife with corruption and widely documented irregularities, particularly in the fast-fashion sector, such as labour and safety violations plus tax and customs fraud. They pop up quickly and shut down just as fast, playing a cat-and-mouse game with authorities to avoid taxes or fines. Fabric is smuggled from China, evading customs duties and taxes, while profits are returned to China via illegal money transfers. (Photo by Stefano RELLANDINI / AFP)
