China intensified its crackdown on tax-related offenses to mitigate tax revenue losses in 2023, according to government agencies.

Last year, relevant authorities examined a total of 174,000 businesses suspected of tax fraud, said a recent statement made by eight departments, including the State Taxation Administration and the Ministry of Public Security.

In particular, approximately 16.6 billion yuan (about 2.3 billion U.S. dollars) was recovered during crackdowns on crimes related to export tax rebates, according to the statement.

The eight departments said that they would continue to work together to tackle tax-related crimes, as part of efforts to safeguard China's tax security and ensure sound operations of the economy.

China's total tax and fee incomes reached 31.7 trillion yuan last year, including 15.9 trillion yuan of tax revenue and 8.2 trillion yuan of social insurance premium income.