China said on Thursday it is verifying the case of two Chinese citizens detained by Ukraine after Ukrainian officials said Wednesday that two Chinese nationals had been detained and accused of attempting to illegally transfer classified documents on a key Ukrainian missile system to Beijing.

China is currently verifying the matter, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Thursday at a daily news briefing.

If Chinese citizens are involved, China will safeguard their rights and interests in accordance with the law, she said.