Executive Summary

Chinese scientists have developed a groundbreaking laser-based system capable of reading millimetre-sized text from over a kilometre away. Using a technique called Active Intensity Interferometry (AII), this Chinese innovation represents a significant leap in long-distance optical resolution. This involves overcoming traditional atmospheric distortions and diffraction limits that hinder conventional telescopes. While the current iteration requires active illumination of the target, limiting its utility for discrete espionage applications, its unparalleled precision has profound implications for remote sensing, infrastructure inspection, and, by extension, new forms of intelligence gathering that would require enhanced defensive measures and new counterintelligence tradecraft to protect against remote observation.