Which statement starts the declaration of a class in Java?

The declaration of a class in Java begins with the keyword "class," followed by the name of the class. The correct choice includes both the access modifier "public" and the keyword "class," making it a proper declaration format.

Using "public" specifies that the class is accessible from other classes, which is important for class visibility when working within larger projects. The keyword "class" indicates to the Java compiler that a new class definition is being established, followed by the class name which should follow Java’s naming conventions (typically starting with an uppercase letter).

This specific structure adheres to Java's syntax rules, ensuring the class is properly defined and can be instantiated or extended by other classes as needed in Java applications.

Other options may miss an important aspect of class declaration, such as omitting the access modifier, which could restrict usability, or incorrectly positioning keywords.