From the plain numbers, one could conclude that China is on the verge of becoming a global brand powerhouse. Of the 11 new entrants in the BrandZ Top 100 ranking, five are Chinese. With 12 Chinese brands in the Top 100, the country seems far ahead of other large emerging markets such as Brazil, Russia and India. And Chinese companies now dominate the Asia Top 10 with eight entries. But Chinese companies have only just started taking their first steps towards building brands, and their road will be a long and hard one, branding experts say.