The Wall St. Journal announced several personnel changes this afternoon, including that Almar Latour, who has been managing editor of WSJ.com, will become the new editor-in-chief of the WSJ’s Asian operations. His replacement to run the site is Rebecca Blumenstein, who was the bureau chief in China before returning to New York last December as International News Editor. Before moving to China in 2005, Blumenstein ran the paper’s New York Technology Group, overseeing coverage of upheaval in the telecommunications industry. She has worked for the Journal since 1995. Blumenstein will report to WSJ.com executive editor Alan Murray. She’ll take up her new post later in the summer. 

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Latour takes the new post as the paper and its parent News Corp (NYSE: NWS). have heightened their Asian focus over the past year. In February, the WSJ relaunched the Chinese version of its site, and created a new site for India. In May, the WSJ said it had formed a joint venture to start a Japanese version in the fall.

In addition to the changes at the site and in Asia, Financial Times U.S. editor Deborah Brewster has been hired as deputy managing editor of the WSJ. She will oversee training and hiring, as well as the graphics department. Brewster has been credited with developing FT.com and starting the Global Investing section. A 20-year newspaper vet, she was the communications correspondent at News Corp.‘s The Australian in Sydney and Business Editor of The Age in Melbourne.