President Trump has asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to intervene in the case of three UCLA basketball players accused of shoplifting from a Louis Vuitton store in China.
Trump reportedly told reporters on Air Force One that he had a conversation with Xi about the player’s situation.
According to a report from ABC News, Trump said that what the players had done was unfortunate. “You know, you're talking about very long prison sentences. They do not play games," he said of the Chinese justice system.
LiAngelo Ball, the younger brother of Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball, as well as Cody Riley and Jalen Hill were all arrested for attempting to steal sunglasses from a Louis Vuitton store in Hangzhou. The players are currently on bail and sequestered in their luxury hotel.
Trump said Xi was "terrific" in response to his request, adding that he will intervene in the matter. Trump noted that it’s a “very, very rough situation with what happened to them."
Teng Biao, a visiting scholar at the U.S.-Asia Law Institute at New York University, told Yahoo Sports the fact that the players were out on bail was a very good sign. “I feel that they won’t be jailed again,” Biao said.
