The land and natural resources within the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall be _________-owned.

The correct answer is that the land and natural resources within the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) shall be state-owned. This reflects the principle established in the Basic Law of Hong Kong, specifically Article 7, which states that the land and natural resources are owned by the state and managed by the HKSAR government.

This state ownership is significant as it underlines that, while the government controls land use and development within Hong Kong, ultimate ownership remains with the state, ensuring that resources are utilized in a manner that aligns with national interests. It also means that the HKSAR has the authority to manage land and natural resources according to local policies, but the overarching ownership lies with the People’s Republic of China.

The other choices, such as privately owned, publicly owned, or jointly owned, do not accurately reflect the legal framework established by the Basic Law regarding land and natural resources in Hong Kong. Privately owned would suggest individual ownership, which contradicts the state ownership principle. Publicly owned could imply that resources are owned collectively by the public, but it does not capture the state ownership aspect. Jointly owned might suggest a partnership between different entities, which again does not align with the state's absolute ownership as per the Basic Law