HONG KONGBEIJING, Jan 31 Reuters A statebacked property project in China has received the first development loan under a socalled whitelist mechanism and two more major cities have eased homebuying curbs, state media reported, as concerns mount about the liquidation of Evergrande.

The latest measures add to a string of policies deployed by the world39;s secondlargest economy over the past year to help revive the property sector, which accounts for a quarter of China39;s GDP and has been hit by an unprecedented debt crisis after a regulatory crackdown on the sector39;s high leverage.

Despite those measures, the property market ended last year with the worst declines in new home prices in nearly nine years, casting a shadow over hopes of broader economic recovery and renewing investor demands for stronger policy initiatives.

Analysts say a Hong Kong court placing property giant China Evergrande Group into liquidation could worsen the demand outlook as homebuyers take a cautious approach given uncertainty about the health of other private developers.

Two of China39;s major cities, Suzhou and Shanghai, followed Guangzhou in easing homebuying restrictions, official media reported on Tuesday, in an effort to boost demand from homebuyers.

Investors were not excited by the new support, however, with Hong Kong39;s Hang Seng Mainland Properties Index and China39;s CSI 300 Real Estate Index falling 2.1 and 2.5, respectively, on Wednesday.

In another support measure, a loan…