Chinese tax collectors descend on companies as budget crunches loom

FILE - A rider passes by an abandoned construction project on the outskirts of Beijing, July 25, 2024. A security person stands in the rain near a depiction of a dragon at a shopping district in Beijing, July 30, 2024. FILE - A woman passes near a government propaganda with the words "Speak in civilized manners, act in civilized manners" near the emblem for the Communist Party on the outskirts of Beijing, July 25, 2024.

Chinese authorities are chasing unpaid taxes from companies and individuals dating back decades, as the government moves to plug massive budget shortfalls and address a mounting debt crisis.