It helps to think of imperialism and neoimperialism as parasitic relations between privileged states and unprivileged ones. Beijing is almost certainly expecting some mutual benefits in the long term from its investments, but I have not seen anything suggesting that said investments are highly conditional or designed to keep the recipients dependent on them indefinitely.

That is what distinguishes the PRC from neoimperialist régimes like Imperial America, which value immediate returns and bully unprivileged states (e.g. Panama) into submission when they try to grow independently.