BEIJING - Over the weekend, residents in parts of north-eastern China found themselves without electricity, as the country's power crunch is starting to hit people right where they live.

Many took to social media to complain, posting pictures of darkened housing estates and streets that were quickly erased by China's censors. To gain more traction, some even hijacked a hastag celebrating the return of Huawei scion Meng Wanzhou from Canada after the end of her US extradition fight.