In his first public comments since withdrawing from the BWF World Championships, Lee Chong Wei promised that he would return to the badminton court.

The 35-year-old badminton star was forced to pull out from the competition as well as the 2018 Asian Games after suffering a respiratory-related disorder.

Currently in Taiwan to undergo treatment for his illness, he was rumoured to be considering retirement, especially with his age catching up on him.

However, in a pre-recorded video message at Yonex's new product launch in Nanjing, China on Monday, retirement was seemingly far from Lee's thoughts.

"I'm sorry for not being able to attend the AX 99 new product launch and the BWF World Championships," he said.

"Thank you for the support, [Satoshi] Yuza and [Takahiro] Yamakawa, and thank you to Lin Dan for attending the event for me. I wish him all the best [at the BWF World Championships].

"I will get back to the badminton court to meet you all as soon as possible. I love you all."

He did not provide a tentative date for his return, though.

Lee's last outing was the Indonesia Open, where he bowed out in the semi-finals to Kento Momota on July 7.