Ajax select selected value

Здраствуйте.Как на этом скрипте можно сделать city "selected".

<script>
function getState1(val) {
    $.ajax({
    type: "POST",
    url: "city.php",
    data:'country='+val,
    success: function(data){
        $("#state-list1").html(data);
    }
    });
}

<div class="row">
                        <div class="col-md-6 col-sm-12">
                            <label class="control-label">Country</label>
                            <select class="selectpicker" name="country" onChange="getState1(this.value);"  data-style="btn-default" data-live-search="true" required>
                                <option>--- Choose a Country ---</option>
                                <?php
                                    $sql=$db->select('id,name')->from('countries')->result();
                                    foreach($sql as $country){
                                    if($country->id==$user->country){
                                        $sel='selected';
                                    }
                                    else {
                                        $sel='';
                                    }
                                ?>
                                    <option value="<?php echo $country->id;?>" <?php echo $sel;?>><?php echo $country->name;?></option>
                                <?php
                                    }
                                ?>
                            </select>
                        </div>
                        <div class="col-md-6 col-sm-12">
                            <div id="state-list1"></div>
                        </div>
                    </div>