B747-400 CREW HAD A TCASII RA DEPARTING ZBAA AT 1500 METERS. THE CTLR QUESTIONED THE CREW FOR FOLLOWING TCASII RA GUIDANCE. THERE IS NO VFR TFC IN CHINA; ONLY MIL AND ACR.

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DEP WAS FULLY BRIEFED ASSIGNED ALT WAS 1500 METERS (5100 FT SET IN ALT WINDOW). ICAO TKOF USED. FO FLYING THE LEG. CAPT CALLED OUT 4100 FT FOR 5100 FT. HAD JUST FINISHED CLEANING UP ACFT AFTER ICAO TKOF WHEN TCASII WENT OFF WITH AN RA WARNING. THE FIRST THING I DID WAS CHK THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR TO INSURE COMPLIANCE WITH THE RA. FO WAS FOLLOWING THE GUIDANCE TO REDUCE CLB; THEN TRIED TO DETERMINE WHAT WAS GOING ON. TFC ON TCASII SHOWED AT 6000 FT. OUR ALT REACHED 5320 FT. IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO 5100 FT AND DEP CTL WANTED TO KNOW WHY WE HAD EXCEEDED ALT. UNABLE TO ANSWER OTHER THAN A 'MISTAKE'. WE DO NOT REMEMBER ANY WARNING ON TCASII PRIOR TO RA AND BELIEVE FO WAS FOLLOWING FLT DIRECTOR FOR PROPER LEVELOFF AT 5100 FT WHEN THE RA OCCURRED. IN FOLLOWING THE RA AND PLACING THE FLT DIRECTOR JUST UNDER THE RED BARS ALLOWED US TO BECOME MOMENTARILY DISTR AND TAKE THE ALTIMETER OUT OF OUR SCAN. UNABLE TO BE SURE; BUT THOUGHT RA CAME JUST BEFORE 5100 FT LEVELOFF. IN METERS ALTIMETRY 1500 METERS IS 5030 FT BUT NECESSITATES SETTING WINDOW AT 5100 FT -- ALREADY 70 FT HIGH. IT MAY HAVE BEEN WE JUST SCREWED UP BUT DON'T KNOW HOW. CTLR SAID WE SHOWED MAX OF 1600 M. WORKLOAD AND LANGUAGE PROBS CAN CAUSE A DISTR BUT BELIEVE FOLLOWING RA AGGRAVATED PROB. WHICH CAME FIRST -- CHICKEN OR THE EGG?