(BEIJING) — China announced Monday it has postponed its most important political meetings of the year because of the outbreak of the new virus, a significant step for an authoritarian government that has always kept tight control over its political calendar. The decision indicates the importance that President Xi Jinping places on the battle against the virus, which has killed more than 2,500 people and sickened more than 77,000 in mainland China. The outbreak has posed one of the biggest political challenges to Xi’s administration since he took control of the ruling Communist Party in 2012.