China's Soueast Motor Co Ltd has clinched a deal with an Iranian company to sell 5,700 minibuses this year after exporting 8,000 of the vehicles to the country last year, the company said on Friday.

The vehicle manufacturer, based in Fuzhou, capital of the eastern Fujian Province, planned to ship Delica minibuses to the Iranian Mehreghan Co in the near future, a company spokesman said.

The vehicles would be used as medium- and short-distance taxis in Iranian cities.

Since its 1995 inception, the company had previously exported 11,000 vehicles to more than 10 countries, including Russia, Egypt and Syria, among others.

Soueast Motor Co Ltd was jointly founded by Fujian Auto Industrial Co Ltd and the China Motor Corporation of Yulon Enterprise Group, the largest auto group in Taiwan.

Japan's Mitsubishi Motor Vehicle Co had held a quarter share in the company since last year, leaving its two founders with a half share and a quarter share, respectively.