JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<select>
  <option value="0">--</option>
  <option value="1" selected="selected">this</option>
  <option value="2" >that</option>
</select>

<a href="#">Select option 0</a>

JavaScript

$('a').click( function(){
    $('select option[value=0]').attr("selected","selected");
});