The biggest threat to safety arriving in PEK is PEK ATC during a diversion.
Expect to burn LOADS more than planned as you divert to a field WAY further than planned at a level WAY lower than desired after spending the first half of the diversion heading the OPPOSITE direction. The 744 with CA would probably not have filed HET as the alternate and was probably snookered into this situation by ATC.
And yes, even round eye airlines have pushed the fuel issue, with a recent one in JFK.