Expected to keep his job for another five-year term, Chinese President and Communist Party leader Xi Jinping will likely pursue his diplomatic tactics to ensure developing economies continue to be China-dependent.
After assuming China's leadership in 2012, the world was in awe following the launch of his ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013 that aims to connect China with the rest of the Eurasia region. This covers 65% of the world's population, three-quarters of global energy resources and 40% of GDP.
Mr Xi and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang quickly began promoting the initiative during their visits to Europe and Asia. Mr Xi often painted China as an open country ready to offer economic opportunities to those willing to cooperate with it.
Paritta Wangkiat is a reporter, Bangkok Post.
Chinese diplomacy after his inauguration was enthusiastic, even aggressive.
In early 2016, Mr Xi launched a new multilateral financial mechanism, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), to play a key role in developing infrastructure in Asia. The AIIB offers financing for governments and the private sector to develop costly infrastructure projects which have not received funding from financial institutes such as the World Bank or the Asian Development Bank.
Whenever he appeared among leaders from developing countries, Mr Xi promised "a shared future" or "a shared prospect" through diplomatic ties.
He pledged financial support for developing economies and reached out to non-democratic countries with open arms. When US President Donald Trump declared in June that the United States would withdraw from the Paris Agreement, Mr Xi capitalised on the moment by branding China as a "responsive leader" when it comes to combating climate change.
During a summit of the Brics countries -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa -- in China's Xiamen in September, he stated clearly that emerging economies and developing countries were the main engines driving global economic growth. The meeting ended with his pledge of 500 million yuan (US$76 million) set aside for economic and technological cooperation and exchanges among Brics countries.
In May, he also announced during the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing that China would provide more than $100 billion to finance BRI projects.
China pledged it would set up a Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Fund to provide $300 million to finance small- and medium-sized cooperation projects in the six Mekong countries of China, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.
A sum of $10 billion in credit has also been promised for the five Mekong countries for their infrastructure and industrial projects along with an offer of 10 billion yuan in preferential loans for them.
China's funding and other promises under Mr Xi's leadership are attractive for many developing nations. The Chinese approach highlights their patronising nature.
Meanwhile, the developing economies, which also wanted to join China's open market, are pleased with easy access to these new sources of funding under China''s patronage.
Mr Xi knows how to play this game to enhance his power and China's influence. His offers, claimed as a drive to push growth in these developing nations, also benefit leaders and businesses in these countries. In return, China gains access to their resources and receives economic privileges from these countries.
It's a win-win approach for both China and those countries and contributes to "inclusive growth", as Mr Xi has claimed. But few ordinary people on the ground can really benefit from such growth.
Some Chinese overseas infrastructure projects have been criticised for undermining the environment and people's livelihoods, depriving natural sources of income from local people.
China's push for a project to blast rapids in the Mekong River, for example, promises growth facilitated by enhanced and year-round navigation routes from southern China to lower Mekong countries. But such growth is promised at the cost of ecological resources which local people depend on as sources of living.
Since last year, the blasting plan has made progress after Mr Li met Mekong leaders in the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation meeting in March 2016.
Meanwhile, China's consistent financial aid to Cambodia has helped Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen maintain his top job for decades. Hun Sen himself has imposed a series of political purges on his opponents and activists. Chinese investors have been granted investment privileges in Cambodia.
Shopping malls, high-rise buildings and dams funded by China have been sprouting up in the country, which has seen annual economic growth of 7.6% from 1994 to 2015, to impress the world.
But Cambodia's poverty rate remains worryingly high, with millions vulnerable. The gap between rich and poor is also widening.
Mr Xi seemed aware of that in his own country. He mentioned inequality in his speech at the opening ceremony of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China on Wednesday. Environmental protection was also cited as a concern.
In his speech, which ran over three hours Mr Xi hinted China will embrace a new era and become the world's leading power replacing the United States by 2050.
He drew attention to America's growing isolation under the current presidency, while China is enhancing cooperation with many nations.
China's diplomacy will be more intense and make developing countries more China-dependent in the next five years as Mr Xi is widely expected to keep his job. As he pursues enhanced Chinese power, developing countries will continue to pin hopes on China's financial support.
Chinese tourists contribute the most to tourism income in developing countries. China also has the world's largest group of consumers.
Admittedly, the whole world now depends on China one way or the other. It is hard to imagine how a lot of developing economies would fare without its support.
But relying on Mr Xi alone could be perilous. If power is centralised in him, a leader who favours his "comrades" but cannot tolerant opponents or rivals, how can he promote his "shared future" or "shared prospects" with these nations?
His version of win-win cooperation may differ greatly from their expectations.