"Error: Failed to compileShared - could not resolve class" when using ArrayList in rules

Issue

When compiling following rule, which uses ArrayList:

import java.util.List;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import fqcn.Model;

global java.util.List<fqcn.Model> sampleGlobal;

rule "sample rule"
    dialect "mvel"
    when
        eval(true)
    then
        kcontext.getKieRuntime.setGlobal("sampleGlobal",new ArrayList<Model>());
end

An error is thrown:

Analyse Expression kcontext.getKieRuntime.setGlobal("sampleGlobal",new ArrayList<Model>());: [Error: Failed to compileShared: 1 compilation error(s): - (2,54) could not resolve class: ArrayList<Model>] [Near : {... Global("sampleGlobal",new ArrayList<Model ....}] ^ [Line: 12, Column: 0]

Even when using the Fully Qualified Class Name the same error occurs. The imported classes are truly present, so how come this rule can't compile?