China reportedly told U.S. tech firms they could face dire consequences if they follow White House policy

The trade war between Washington and Beijing got a little more tense this week.

The Chinese government reportedly held meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday with major tech companies from the United States and elsewhere, warning them they could face dire consequences if they cooperate with the Trump administration's ban on sales of American technology to Chinese companies, including Huawei, people familiar with the meetings told The New York Times.

The meetings were reportedly led by China's central economic planning agency and the National Development and Reform Commission, and attended by representatives from its Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

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Chinese officials reportedly told U.S. companies they could face permanent consequences if they comply with White House policy. Meanwhile, non-U.S. companies were told that, so long as they continue their current relationships, they would face no adverse consequences.

Scott Kennedy, a senior adviser at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Beijing is forcing U.S. companies to choose between "complying with pressure" from China or violating U.S. law. He told the Times that he believes, ultimately, the companies will not violate the law. "The companies are between a rock and a hard place," he said. "But that hard place will win out." Read more at The New York Times.