Internal documents show federal officials were wary of creating a chill within ethnic communities and rattling Canada's bilateral relations as they fleshed out next steps to secure vital scientific research.
The federal government has been working for months to prepare a list of sensitive research areas and the names of labs and institutions considered a risk to national security.
Officials are scheduled to provide a detailed update on the delicate process in a briefing today.
The announcement builds on a federal policy that says research in sensitive areas will not be funded if personnel are affiliated with institutions linked to military, defence or state security organizations of foreign countries deemed to be a risk to Canada.
Ottawa is concerned that countries such as China and Russia are determined to acquire sensitive Canadian research and intellectual property by partnering on projects with academics in Canada.
The federal Innovation Department has been designing a framework for implementing the research policy in co-ordination with security agencies and through consultation with the research community.