On invitation from the Sub-Regional Representative for South-East Asia World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH SRR SEA), Dr Zixiang Zhu from the WOAH/National Reference Laboratory attended the 26th SEACFMD National Coordinators Meeting held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 22–24 August 2023. The workshop consists of nine sections: I: Opening Session; II: SEACFMD Campaign Progress; III: FMD updates; IV: Country Reports - FMD Prevention and control activities; V: Updates from Reference Centres and Partners; VI: Strengthening FMD Prevention and control; VII: Priority actions to enhance FMD prevention and control; VIII: Enhance cost-efficient synergies in the control of FMD and other TADs; XII: Way Forward and Closing. Scientists and officials from China, Vietnam, UK, Australia, Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia, Brunei, Cambodia, Malaysia, Japan, Laos, Singapore, Philippines, Mongolia and South Korea participated the meeting and gave a presentation focusing on the epidemiology and the control strategies of FMD, ASF, LSD, PRR and other transboundary animal diseases (TADs) of veterinary importance. It also discussed the management of epidemiological information, national legislation related to FMD and TADs control, and the international collaboration in veterinary epidemiology. Dr Zixiang Zhu, as an invited speaker, gave a talk entitled “Investigation of innate immune evasion by foot and mouth disease virus and its application”. It introduced the WOAH/China National Reference Laboratory for FMD; the mechanisms of FMDV-mediated innate immune suppression and development of efficient and safe FMD vaccines based on these mechanisms.