China's capital and financial account registered a deficit in the second quarter, swinging back from a surplus in the first quarter, preliminary data from China's top foreign exchange regulator showed Wednesday.

China ran a deficit of 1.6 billion U.S. dollars in its capital and financial account in the April-June period, compared with a surplus recorded in the January-March period, according to a report from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE).

Last year, China registered a deficit in the capital and financial account for the first time since 1999.

In the second quarter, China's current account, which reflects the country's foreign trade with partners, maintained a surplus of 48.2 billion U.S. dollars.

Figures for the first six months show that China's current account surplus reached 95.7 billion U.S. dollars, and the capital and financial account registered a surplus of 107.8 billion U.S. dollars, the SAFE said.

The country's international reserve assets grew by 203.6 billion U.S. dollars in the first half, the SAFE said.