The dolls, created by Hong Kong designer Kasing Lung, have become a global trend, thanks in part to their embrace by TikTok influencers.

Shenzhen-based Ping An Bank offered to give dolls to new customers who deposit at least 50,000 yuan (around £5,150) for three months.

The offer went viral on Chinese social media and was apparently successful in attracting savers.

However, the Zhejiang branch of China’s National Financial Regulatory Administration has now told banks to desist from making such offers, according to Bloomberg News.

Guidelines issued by China’s central bank in 2018 do not allow for gifts or rebates in exchange for deposits.