Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels attached great importance to examining the specific social and historical conditions of different regions and countries. As pioneers in area studies and country studies, they developed a paradigm rooted in historical materialism, dedicated to proletarian emancipation, and characterized by strong practicality and dialectical synthesis. In the new era, Chinese-style regional and country-specific studies should follow the fundamental guiding principles of Marxism, embrace the core vision of a community with a shared future for mankind, and align with major national strategies to build an independent characteristic knowledge system from China’s perspective. The experiences of Marx and Engels in acquiring and using first-hand materials, combining universality and particularity in narrative, opposing Eurocentrism, and adopting dissemination strategies that unite international leftist translators offer valuable methodological insights for advancing contemporary regional and country studies and enhancing China’s international communication capacity.