BEIJING, May 20 (Xinhua) -- China's commercial banks saw a net forex settlement deficit of 73.7 billion yuan (11 billion U.S. dollars) in April, the country's forex regulator said Monday.

This widened from a deficit of 41.2 billion yuan reported in March, but was smaller than a deficit of 101.3 billion yuan in February, according to the State Administration of Foreign Exchange.

China's commercial banks saw a net forex settlement surplus of 81.8 billion yuan in January.

Forex purchases by banks stood at 1.02 trillion yuan last month, while sales reached 1.09 trillion yuan.

China reported a forex settlement deficit of 134.4 billion yuan during the first four months, widening from a deficit of 60.7 billion yuan during the first quarter.

SAFE spokesperson Wang Chunying said last month that she saw increased stability in the country's forex market.

The foundation for a stable forex market remains sound, because of factors such as stable market sentiment, great resilience and potential of the economy, increased counter-cyclical adjustment, a proactive fiscal policy and prudent monetary policy, Wang said.