The Trump administration is reportedly considering delisting Chinese companies from American stock exchanges as a way to limit U.S. investment in China.
The move, first reported by Bloomberg News, would further escalate the ongoing trade war between the world's two largest economies.
Delisting the companies is part of a broader administration plan to limit U.S. investment in China, according to the report, which cited a U.S. government official.
Administration officials are also exploring how the U.S. could place limits on the Chinese firms that are included in U.S. stock indexes, the report said.
The mechanisms for how to execute delisting the companies has yet to be determined and any plan that is developed must be approved by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The report surfaced as trade talks between the U.S. and China are set to resume in Washington October 10.
Both countries have already imposed billions of dollars of tariffs on each other's goods.
There was no immediate comment from the White House.