JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<p>Only display the 'x' if the `input` element has a value:</p>

<div class="clearable-input">
  <input type="text" />
  <span data-clear-input>&times;</span>
</div>

<div class="clearable-input">
  <input type="text" value="Clear this." />
  <span data-clear-input>&times;</span>
</div>

CSS

.clearable-input {
  position: relative;
  display: inline-block;
}
.clearable-input > input {
  padding-right: 1.4em;
}
.clearable-input >[data-clear-input] {
  display: none;
  position: absolute;
  top: 0;
  right: 0;
  font-weight: bold;
  font-size: 1.4em;
  padding: 0 0.2em;
  line-height: 1em;
  cursor: pointer;
}
.clearable-input > input::-ms-clear {
  display: none;
}

JavaScript

Array.prototype.forEach.call(document.querySelectorAll('.clearable-input'), function(el) {
  var input = el.querySelector('input');

  conditionallyHideClearIcon();
  input.addEventListener('input', conditionallyHideClearIcon);
  el.querySelector('[data-clear-input]').addEventListener('click', function(e) {
    input.value = '';
    conditionallyHideClearIcon();
  });

  function conditionallyHideClearIcon(e) {
    var target = (e && e.target) || input;
    target.nextElementSibling.style.display = target.value ? 'block' : 'none';
  }
});