In November, the Ministry of Commerce launched a special review to identify and address regulations or measures that may discriminate against foreign-invested enterprises, in a bid to create a more equitable market environment for foreign businesses, anchor the long-term investment expectations of foreign investors in China and bolster their confidence.

"Compared with previous support policies, the new regulation emphasizes that the authorities concerned should not discriminate against self-employed businesses when putting forward policies, as such businesses, which are usually small in scale and have a limited voice, are vulnerable to discrimination from all aspects in their business activities," Wei said.

The US has rolled out specific steps that discriminate against Chinese EV businesses and remove their products from the subsidy's purview, which is typically nonmarket oriented, He Yadong, a spokesman for the ministry, said at a news conference.

"If more offline institutions reject accepting notes and coins or discriminate against cash payments, it will not only affect the circulation of the renminbi but inconvenience individuals who are used to cash payments, such as seniors," said Dong Ximiao, chief researcher at Merchants Union Consumer Finance.

"Regulatory authorities are expected to clarify that bank clerks will not be held responsible for loan defaults once they do their due diligence, so that banks are not allowed to use the regulatory requirement as an excuse to discriminate against private companies when banks make decisions on the granting of loans," he said.

It does not discriminate on the basis of religion, gender or class.