ACR DEPARTS WITHOUT THE ROUTINE UPDATE TO THE WT AND PAX LOAD.

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THE EVENT OCCURRED DURING TAXI OUT. AS PER OUR FAA APPROVED FOM; WE ARE TO AUTOMATICALLY RECEIVE THE FINAL WT AND PAX COUNT VIA ACARS. IF NOT RECEIVED IN A REASONABLE TIME PRIOR TO TKOF; OR NO ACARS; CONTACT LOAD PLANNING ON VHF. IN THIS SIT; WE WERE TAXIING OUT FOR TKOF; THE FINAL WT AND PAX COUNT WAS NOT AUTOMATICALLY RECEIVED. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS (MAYBE 10) OVER MANY MINS (4-5) WERE MADE TO CONTACT ACR OPS ON THE PUBLISHED FREQ. THIS IS THE ONLY VHF FREQ AVAILABLE TO CONTACT ANY AIRLINE PERSONNEL AT BEIJING. AS PER OUR FOM; IT IS THE CAPT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO RESOLVE DISCREPANCIES INVOLVED WITH THESE WTS. AS PER OUR B747-400 FLT MANUAL; IT IS THE PRIMARY RELIEF PLT WHO WILL ACCOMPLISH CONFIRMING THE FINAL WT AND PAX COUNT. I WAS THE SECONDARY RELIEF PLT. THE FOM; HOWEVER; DOES ALLOW OPS WITH THE 'ACARS NOT AVAILABLE.' THE QUESTION THEN BECOMES -- WHAT DOES 'ACARS NOT AVAILABLE' MEAN? DOES IT MEAN -- THE ACARS IS INOP; IE; BROKEN AND NOT USABLE? DOES IT MEAN -- THE 'ACARS NOT AVAILABLE' TO RECEIVE THE FINAL WT AND PAX COUNT; IE; FOR WHATEVER REASON WE DO NOT OR DID NOT RECEIVE THIS INFO FROM THE ACARS UNIT? IN ANY CASE; THE FAA APPROVED FOM IS QUITE UNCLR ON THIS. IF IT IS THE LATTER; AS IT WOULD APPLY TO OUR CASE; WE PERFORMED AS DIRECTED FROM THE FOM; 'IF ACARS IS NOT AVAILABLE; THE ONBOARD COUNT WILL BE COMPARED TO THE PAX COUNT IN THE PLANNED WT MANIFEST. IF THE HEAD COUNT DISCREPANCY EXCEEDS THE TOLERANCE; CONTACT LOAD PLANNING.' AS WAS OUR CASE; THE TOLERANCE WAS WITHIN LIMITS; THERE WAS NO NEED TO CONTACT LOAD PLANNING; AND THE FLT CONTINUED AS PLANNED. ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS: 1) DURING THE TAXI OUT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO OBTAIN THE FINAL WT INFO AND CONTACT BEIJING LOAD PLANNING/OPS; I BROUGHT UP THE OPTION OF CONTACTING ACR DISPATCH THROUGH EITHER ACARS OR SATCOM. THE CAPT'S RESPONSE WAS; 'NO; THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO FOR US.' I THINK IT WAS BELIEVED THAT THE ACR BEIJING PERSONNEL HAD BASICALLY 'GONE HOME' FOR THE DAY AND COULD NOT BE CONTACTED BY EITHER US -- THROUGH VHF -- OR BY ACR DISPATCH. 2) THE CAPT INQUIRED AMONG HIS CREW IF 'EVERYONE WAS COMFORTABLE WITH CONTINUING WITH ONLY THE PLANNED WT MANIFEST' THE 2 OTHER CREW MEMBERS AGREED TO CONTINUE. I THINK THIS SIT OF THE 3 OTHERS VERSUS ME KEPT ME FROM SPEAKING UP AGAINST CONTINUING AND NOT DEPARTING UNTIL THE SIT WAS RESOLVED. IN RETROSPECT; I WISH I HAD SPOKEN UP AND US NOT DEPART. 3) AS DEFINED IN BOTH THE FAA APPROVED FOM AND THE B747-400 FLT MANUAL; IT IS THE CAPT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO RESOLVE ISSUES REGARDING THE PAX COUNT AND FINAL WT MANIFEST; AND THE PRIMARY RELIEF FO'S DUTY TO CONFIRM FINAL WT AND PAX COUNT. IT WAS THEREFORE NEITHER MY RESPONSIBILITY NOR DUTY TO OBTAIN OR RESOLVE ISSUES REGARDING THE PAX COUNT OR FINAL WT MANIFEST. HOWEVER; AS A CREW MEMBER ON THIS FLT; I DO HAVE AN OBLIGATION AND RESPONSIBILITY REGARDING OPS. THIS IS DEFINED IN OUR FOM (SEE ATTACHED PAGE) 'IT IS THE OBLIGATION OF ALL CREW MEMBERS TO RPT CONDITIONS WHICH COULD BE DETRIMENTAL TO SAFE OPS AND; EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SPECIFICALLY DIRECTED BY THE CAPT; TO ADVISE HIM IMMEDIATELY SO THAT HE MAY TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION.' IN THIS CASE; THE CAPT GAVE SPECIFIC DIRECTION ON HOW HE DESIRED TO PROCEED. I BELIEVE I PERFORMED WITHIN THE LITERAL DEFINITION OF THIS; HOWEVER; I (AS A QUALIFIED CREW MEMBER) THINK EACH OF US SHOULD BE BEYOND THIS LITERAL DEFINITION.