HONG KONG (Reuters) -Country Garden has proposed a deal to its offshore creditors that will cut its debt by $11.6 billion, paving the way for the property developer to seek more time from the high court in Hong Kong to implement a restructuring plan. The indebted developer has reached an understanding with a lender group made up of seven banks ahead of the company's liquidation hearing on Jan. 20 in Hong Kong, bringing it closer towards a restructuring of its offshore debt. Once China's biggest property developer, Country Garden defaulted on $11 billion in offshore bonds in late 2023, deepening a debt crisis in the sector that had already experienced defaults by many developers, including China Evergrande Group.