@SQGRANGE
Correct me if I am wrong, but the jet supposedly has flown for 8 hours, with a certain amount of time at low altitude yet only had enough fuel to get to Beijing (slightly under 6 hours) and say 45 -60 minutes reserve?
I think someone is a creative accountant.
I'll correct you. A commercial flight typically departs with trip fuel (6 hours as you have supposed) + alternate (some have assumed about 1 hour) + 10% contingency (about 40 mins based on the presumed figures) + final reserve (30 mins) + whatever the captain deems appropriate, having good knowledge of most aspects he is likely to encounter on the flight.
If the flight continued until flame-out or into final reserve, the figures above come to over 8 hours, unuseable fuel and other factors aside.
On the contrary to your creative accountant supposition, I think someone is displaying confusion based on ignorance. You claim to be an ex 777 jockey - are you sure about that?