UCLA players arrested in China still waiting for official investigation

Three UCLA men's basketball players arrested in China on suspicion of shoplifting a day before US President Donald Trump's visit, have been confined to their hotel, pending legal proceedings.

The three students, LiAngelo Ball, Cody Riley and Jalen Hill, were taken into police custody on Tuesday morning for questioning, and released around 4am on Wednesday.

Ball, the younger brother of NBA rookie Lonzo Ball of the Los Angeles Lakers, declined to comment when reached by phone at his hotel on Wednesday. 

The others could not be reached.

The UCLA team is in China for its season-opener against Georgia Tech on Saturday in Shanghai.

Ball, Riley and Hill were questioned about allegedly stealing from a Louis Vuitton store during the team's visit to Hangzhou, home of the game's sponsor, e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. 

A source, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the situation, stated that police had released the three on condition that they remain at their luxury hotel in Hangzhou while the legal process continues.

It was not made clear, however, how long that would take.

"There is a lot of uncertainty around how long they will need to be in that position before there's some update on the situation," the source added. 

"Chinese authorities have up to 37 days to decide whether to pursue official approval for a formal arrest," Margaret Lewis, a law professor at Seton Hall University in New Jersey who researches China's legal system, told the Los Angeles Times.

An arrest would prompt an investigation that could take up to two additional months before prosecutors bring formal charges, Lewis told the newspaper.

The US State Department and UCLA athletics officials declined to address how long legal proceedings might take.

A US State Department official said the department was aware of reports that three American citizens were arrested in China and stood ready to provide assistance, but had no further comment due to privacy concerns.

Chinese foreign ministry officials previously said that the Chinese government had reported the incident to US officials.

In a video posted Wednesday on Twitter by ESPN writer Arash Markazi, LaVar Ball, the father of detainee LiAngelo Ball,  said his son would be fine.

President Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday to discuss trade, North Korea and a range of other topics.