Online news outlet The Paper reported that several factories in southern Guangdong province were producing customisable dolls with "childlike pornography characteristics".

The items -- including some designed to appear "pregnant" -- were being sold on Chinese e-commerce platforms like Taobao and the Instagram-like Xiaohongshu, the report earlier Wednesday said.

District regulators in Huizhou city said a team was investigating one factory allegedly making the dolls and had ordered it to "immediately suspend production".

A public outcry erupted last month after French authorities accused global e-commerce giant Shein of selling sex dolls resembling children.

Shein, founded in China but now based in Singapore, barred sales of sex dolls on its sites after France's finance minister threatened to ban the company.

French authorities have also investigated rival AliExpress for allegedly selling such dolls, while retail platforms Temu and Wish have also come under legal action for allegedly failing to apply age restrictions on pornographic material.