Against the backdrop of profound adjustments in the global economic landscape, firms going global has become a strategic choice for shaping a country’s international competitive advantage. Exploring effective pathways for Chinese firms to go global is of significant theoretical and practical importance. This paper takes the national-level Economic and Technological Development Zones (ETDZs) as a representative example of place-based policies. Based on the precise identification of the ETDZ boundaries and firms within these zones, we quantitatively analyze the impact and mechanism of national-level ETDZs on Chinese firms going global. The study finds that national-level ETDZs significantly promote firms going global. Specifically, these zones, through their agglomeration effects in terms of capital, talent, and firms, effectively alleviate financing constraints, provide talent support, and facilitate information sharing among firms. This, in turn, enhances the firms’ownership advantages and promotes their going global. Furthermore, this effect is stronger for the firms in industries dominated by the ETDZ and those whose core executives have overseas experience. This research enriches the relevant theories of outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) and provides empirical support for further advancing China’s high-level opening-up.