OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to test the psychometric properties of instruments used to measure diabetes self-management (DSM) that were modified and translated into Chinese. METHODS: A convenience sample of 30 people with type 2 diabetes in Beijing, China, completed a questionnaire consisting of six instruments that had been translated and modified for use with a Chinese population. The reliability and validity were examined. RESULTS: The Cronbach's alpha for the six instruments varied from .62 to .87. Factors analysis was performed, with variances explained by factors ranging from 61.6% to 97.9%. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the psychometric testing of the modified and translated instruments support the use of these tools to assess DSM and its influencing factors in Chinese people with type 2 diabetes.