There’s a reason China is one of Apple’s fastest-growing markets. Apple news in China spreads fast and makes headlines, especially anything concerning Steve Jobs or upcoming iPhone releases. Recently, China has even been making headlines of their own with Apple stories that hit closer to home.

Steve Jobs' resignation last week created a media frenzy in China; newspapers throughout the country offered up headlines expressing shock and sadness at the news. We particularly liked the following headlines: “Goodbye Steve Jobs, Goodbye the Legend,” “Steve Jobs Gives Up His Seat – Will Apple Still Be Amazing?,” “Has Apple Lost Its Core?” and “Steve Jobs Steps Down. So far, three apples have changed the world. One lured Eve away, one awakened Newton, one was held in Steve Jobs’ hand.” You can see many more front pages here.

Not to be outdone, Weibo set up a special page dedicated to discussion of Jobs’ resignation. In several online surveys, Chinese netizens have voiced their opinions. Fifty percent believe that without Jobs, “the company would lose its soul.” Meanwhile, 32 percent of respondents plan to remain “loyal Apple fans,” and 48 percent will buy the iPhone 5. One user called upon others to buy the iPhone 5 in commemoration of “the final amazing art work of Steve Jobs.” Splitting from the majority were 20 percent who said they would no longer buy Apple products, “even if they update to iPhone 100.”

So Tim Cook is taking over as CEO of Apple, but his reception has been less than welcoming. Just in case the screengrab of the Weibo banner (shown above) fails to adequately depict the feelings of Chinese netizens about the new CEO, Tencent expressed their strong opinion in an article describing Cook as a “sufferer of homosexuality.” The phrase has since been removed, following an outcry from Chinese gay and lesbian groups.

A bit closer to home, Apple's role in China has been making headlines. Environmental activists are pointing the finger at Apple over “systemic pollution.” Although Apple outsources all of its manufacturing and cannot be held directly responsible for any pollution, the environmental organizations have identified at least 20 different suppliers for Apple that have been cited for environmental violations.

The latest trove of documents from WikiLeaks include several reports discussing Apple’s fight against piracy in China. Topics covered: the anti-counterfeit team that includes an ex-FBI special agent, the slow response in tackling the issue over the last three years, and the specific strategies designed to prevent the production and sale of counterfeits.

In Weibo news, discussion has been focused on the impending Apple internship of "Comex," the whiz-kid who created JailbreakMe, the exploit that liberated millions of iPhones from Apple's proprietary operating system. Comex tweeted the news of his new employment from his Twitter account. Users are speculating whether this will make Jailbreakme void for future use now that Apple has the famous hacker on the inside.

Finally, prepare for a hectic October, which is when the new iPhone 5 is rumored to be launched in China. Phone cases are already available in China, from manufacturers who are presumably quite confident that they know the specs of the iPhone 5. If they're right, these phone cases offer tantalizing hints about the elusive new design: Expect a wider, longer, thinner phone, with rounded edges like an iTouch, and a larger screen.

Images: M.I.C. Gadget, Weibo