Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the status and factors associated with self-management behavior (SMB) of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in a border area of southwest China. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with T2DM patients in Dali, China. The participants filled in the questionnaires including demographic and disease-related characteristics, psychosocial status, resources of DM knowledge, knowledge of DM care, competency in DM care skills, the Chinese Diabetes Management Self-Efficacy Scale (C-DMSES), and the Chinese Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities (C-SDSCA). All the data were analyzed with SPSS version 26. Multiple linear regression analysis examined associations between predictors and SMB. Results: A total of 470 valid questionnaires have been collected. The score for overall SMB was 50.71±11.99; 19.6% of patients were at a good level, 48.3% were moderate, and 32.1% were poor. The significant factors that influenced SMB included self-efficacy (β=0.37; p<.001), competency in DM care skills (β=0.22; p<.001) and lacked in the treatment confidence (β=-0.09; p=.023). Conclusion: The level of self-management among T2DM patients in this area was medium-low state. For future studies, our findings suggest that self-efficacy, competency in DM care skills, and treatment confidence should be considered essential factors in improving the self-management behavior of T2DM patients in the border area of southwest China.