BEIJING, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Complaints against the insurance industry in China edged up in the first half, with 48,194 cases received by the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) and its local bureaus.

File photo: VCG

The number of cases involving contract disputes stood at 46,911, up 0.03 percent year on year, while that of suspected violation of laws and regulations surged 27.79 percent to 1,283 in H1, according to the CBIRC.

Complaints mainly focused on insurance claims and sales of insurance products.

In the first eight months of 2019, insurance institutions were fined more than 76.8 million yuan (about 10.8 million U.S. dollars) for violations.

China's regulators have tightened regulations in recent years to fend off financial risks in the world's second biggest insurance market.