Debt-laden Chinese property developer Evergrande has for the first time missed a deadline to repay some of its overseas creditors, a report said Tuesday, raising the prospect of it defaulting as it prepares for a government-backed mega-restructure.

As a 30-day grace period on $82.5 million in overdue coupon payments ended Tuesday, Bloomberg News reported some bondholders had yet to receive payment, citing sources.

The coupons were initially due on November 6 with a one-month grace period with Evergrande's initial default exacerbating already swirling concerns over its future and the wider Chinese property market.

The Chinese government sparked a crisis within the property sector when it launched a drive last year to curb excessive debt among Evergrande and other real estate firms.

Companies that had accrued huge debt to expand suddenly found the taps turned off and began struggling to complete projects, pay contractors and meet repayments.

Evergrande, with a debt pile of over $300 billion, is the most prominent firm to have buckled under the crackdown, but others have also suffered.

The real estate industry is a top growth driver for the world's second-biggest economy and the debt crisis has raised fears of a spillover into other key sectors.

Evergrande has yet to comment on the bond repayments.

As it scrambles to contain the fallout, the Chinese government is poised to take a leading role in the restructure, analysts told AFP.

After Evergrande said on Friday it may not be able to meet its financial obligations, the government summoned the company's founder and announced several moves that have given the clearest picture yet of Beijing's plans to end the crisis.

"Evergrande's disclosures and the ensuing government statements were well coordinated, pointing to formal beginning of Evergrande's debt restructuring," Nomura's chief China economist Lu Ting said in a note.

He added the regulators' comments suggest "global investors should take responsibility for their own decisions to invest in Evergrande's dollar bonds and the Chinese government will not provide a hard guarantee to indebted companies like Evergrande."

Evergrande is China's second-largest developer by volume
Evergrande is China's second-largest developer by volume AFP / Hector RETAMAL

Evergrande announced Monday a new seven-strong "risk management committee" that would involve only two executives from the company, with others including officials from state entities.

Guangdong's provincial government is also sending a working team to the company, which analysts at Jefferies said indicated a "potential takeover of Evergrande".

The working group is a clear sign of increased government control in the future of Evergrande, agreed Chen Long, partner at research firm Plenum.

"(Founder) Hui Ka Yan actually will not be making the final decisions," he told AFP.

"From an operational perspective... that working group will be in charge and will be making the most important decisions."

Bloomberg News reported that Evergrande was planning to include all its offshore public bonds and private debt obligations in a restructuring, citing people familiar with the matter.

The restructuring -- which has yet to start -- could cover public bonds sold by Evergrande and unit Scenery Journey, as well as $260 million of notes issued by joint venture Jumbo Fortune Enterprises, Bloomberg said.

There have been signs the government is starting to ease property curbs.

The central bank said Monday it would cut the reserve requirement ratio by 0.5 percentage points for most banks effective December 15, reducing the amount of cash they must hold in reserve and injecting 1.2 trillion yuan ($188 billion) into the economy.

Top leaders also agreed to "promote the construction of affordable housing, support the commercial housing market and better meet the reasonable housing needs of buyers", state news agency Xinhua said.