The two British lenders said they had recently been inspected by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) and had taken action to ensure they complied with China's forex rules.

SAFE said Tuesday it would crack down on fraudulent export transactions that disguise the movement of speculative funds after finding "some problems" in commercial banks' foreign exchange dealings.

HSBC confirmed it was inspected by SAFE in March and April this year.

Standard Chartered said it had taken "appropriate actions" according to the findings of a SAFE audit.